Shikon Chest
by XBlackRoseX909
Summary: on hiatus, will be continued What happens when a simple hunt for buried treasure turns into a battle over the three worlds. As captain of the Wind Scar, Inuyasha is destined to discover just what is inside the Shikon Chest. InuKag MirSan
1. The Shikon Map

Chp 1

There is a legend hidden deep within this ship, a legend so old and shrouded with mystery, that almost no one remembers it. Only a few know the secret of the Shikon chest, and those few will protect it with their very life. But the legend is a well know fact on the small sea port town of Higurashi, named after the man who founded it, Mr. Hujimi Higurashi. He came in search of the Shikon all those years ago, knowing full well that the pirates that followed him would steal the map and kill him if he didn't cooperate. So instead, he created a town, and hid the secret map deep within the city.

Or so the stroy is told.

But in fact, the secret left the city, hidden in the hands of a Demon Lord. The demon was very good friends with the Higurashi family, and took the map with him on his famous ship. No one knew about the maps location except 4 people, the demon lord, Hujimi Higurashi, the demon lord's assistant Myouga, and the lovely Kagura of the Winds. Now you might be asking, who is Kagura of the winds?

She is the sorceress who controls the winds, who controls a voyager's journey. She lives atop a gigantic mountain, in the middle of the ocean, controling all the main currents that drive a ship. She is very often given gifts and treasures in exchange for a faster current. But this was her ultimate prize, the secret of the map. Knowledge was worth more than any prize, and this piece of information was very intuitive.

In exchange for the knowledge, the promised that the Demon Lord's ship be rebuilt as the biggest ship in history, and also the fastest. Wither her powers, she could provide anything needed for the sea. Ship-builders from all around came to build this magnificent ship, and in payment, Lady Kagura of the Winds gave them all any piece of her treasure. Any single piece could be worth hundreds of thousands of Pints(dollars), so the payment was well worth their time.

Two ship builders, Lady Shigwa of Japan, and Mistress Kaede of China, were the wisest of ship builders. They asked for two things each, to stay on the island's mountain with the Lady of the Winds, and for the book of treasures. Kagura saw how wise these two were, and granted each of them their dues. They could stay on the islands, but only one could have the book.

After many tests, it was found that Lady Shigwa would recieve the book. But of course, she shared her knowledge with her friend, Lady Kaede. Now I'm quite sure you ask, what is the Book of Treasures? It is not a book at all, but in fact a portal...

The portal can open up in the shape of a book, and let the reader follow a route to any treasure. When you opened it, you spoke the name of the place you want to go, and it will take you there. But not in body, it will only show you the way there. But instead of finding places, people wanted it to find treasures. So it was dubbed, the Book of Treasures.

But if you remember, the two women asked to stay on the island...

So they could never travel to the treasures, only follow the routes. But that was in fact, what they wanted. See these two women saw what greed did to their husbands, who were pirates. They wanted to take away the book from the pirates who seeked it. So they did, and hid it away on the island, where no one would ever find it.

Thus the loctaion of the Shikon Chest, was also sealed away...

When the Demon Lord took the ship, the _Wind Scar_, he hid the map in a place no one would find it, or at least, no one looking for it...

And in fact, he died soon after hiding it, taking the loctation to the grave...

But not before leaving an heir...

Most figured it would be his first born, Sesshomaru. The devilous man was every father's dream, tall, strong, smart, and handsome. He was a very monotoned man, who very very seldom made emotion in his face or eyes. In fact, only one was he ever seen smiling, and that was at his father's funeral.

But the only time anyone saw him actally mad, was after the funeral, at the inheritance meeting...

When the most shocking thing occured..

The demon lord left everything, including the ship, to his second, half-breed, son..

Inuyasha...

This boy, was very special. Everyone who met him knew it. His mother died giving birth to him, so he was left to his father for protection. But like every good father, he put the boy to work. After he got old enough, he worked on the ship before his father got the _Wind Scar. _But in truth, his father also treated him like a king. This boy was smart, but in a way that was surprising to most. He wasn't exactly a logical thinker, but more a practical thinker. Like instead of using four or five ropes to secure a mast, he would suggest using a chain. Or instead of cleaning the clams that hung to the ship, he would suggest leaving them there, and eating them for meals.

His father knew, there was no one like him. After 18 years of working on that ship, he had turned into a strong young man. He was more powerful than probably any demon, smarter than any sailor, and probably better looking than any human. In fact, he looked like his mother. Huge eyes, a small nose, and his face was shaped like hers. But he had his father's eye color, and dog ears that defiantely came from the dog demon inside him. But the most interesting thing about him, was his silver hair.

His father, and brother, also had silver hair. But their's was nothing like his. Their's were long and silky straight, that fanned out easily. But Inuyasha's was silky in a different way, and was never straight. It was a tangle of hair, never brushed, always messy. But it suited him, in a way that surprised many. He was scraggly by nature, and a little illogical, but that almost made him more charming.

Inuyasha was the one, who deserved the ship...

Sesshomaru vowed revenge...

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Inuyasha felt so at home here, wind tangled hair, fresh salt breeze stinging his face. His foot rested on the bow of his ship..

His ship...

Those words were so new to him, yet they felt like they belonged together. His father, the Dreaded Pirate Lord, left him this ship, the _Wind Scar_, as an heirloom, along with his vast fortune. He felt that all those years of scrubbing floors, and shining swords were finally paying off.

His first mate, Naraku, had always been a dark character. But he was smart, smarter than anyone alive he guessed. He could think of a way to get out of any situation, plus he was a strong fighter too. He wasn't exactly the brightest ray of sunshine, but in reality, no pirate is.

His second in command, Miroku, was a top notch mate. He was a human, not a demon, but he was stronger than most demons in a weird sorta way. See Miroku had high spiritual powers, and could excorsise a demon with a single throw of a sutra. But Miroku preferred to better himself in swords, and became the one of the most renowned swordfighters in the demon and human world.

His crew was hard working, and loyal. In fact, probably the most outstanding crew in all piracy. He sat on the railing of his ship, hanging on the shrouds, just enjoying this day. How everything was perfect, how it seemed nothing could go wrong...

But of course, something must go wrong, or else we have no story. So of course, this is where our story begins, a story of love, adventure, suspense, swashbuckling action, and yada yada yada. Of course though, with any good action, you need a bad guy..

Now you'll see, the bad guy...

Naraku called Inuyasha, saying he'd found something. Inuyasha groaned, wishing the wind would blow just a little harder. No matter what anyone said, the wind blowing through you hair is one of the greatest feelings in the world. He jumped off the railing, and felt the breeze for just a moment longer.

But soon he heard the callings of Naraku again, and he knew he had to go.

He walked down the corridor from where Naraku's voice came, following the carpeted hallways. He turned a corner...

Right into a sword...

He saw a smiling Naraku, his smile more malicious than ever. Shadows hid his face, sending shivers down Inuyasha's spine. Naraku had a sword in his chest, and wasn't pulling out...

"You though you could trust me, didn't you. As your first mate, I will recieve this ship after you die."

What the fuck was he talking about, the ship? He wants him to die? What the fuck was going on!

"What the hell man, get off me!"

But Narkau just sunk the blade deeper, grinning all the way,"I want what I deserve, you fucking half-breed!"

Inuyasha felt the burning pain of the cold metal in his chest, and relished each thump his heart still had left. Pain burned through him like fire consuming a log, the pain centered right through his chest. Somehow, he managed to sink his claws in Naraku's arm, tearing through the flesh and bone as deep as he could. Naraku growled like a rabies infested scowndral, and backed away.

Inuyasha took the opportunity to rip the sword from his chest, feeling the almost satisfying feeling as it left his insides. His right hand immediately went for the sword at his side, and his left went for the sword wound in his chest. He growled, trying to be intimidating, as well as trying to get his mind off the pain in his chest.

By this time, half the crew had arrived for the fight, but Naraku told them to back off, that this was his fight. Some crew mates dared to try to help the wounded hanyou, but also met his demand for a fight. Inuyasha was a pig headed idiot, when it came to pride. He wasn't gonna let Naraku get away that easily...

"You betraying bastard!"

Inuyasha jumped at him, the force strong enough to stop a bull in its tracks. Naraku was slammed through a wall, the debis crumbling all over both of them. Naraku glared at Inuyasha,"You bleeding cripple...and you still fight me. What nerve..."

"Shut UP!"

He swiped the sword through the air, aiming for Naraku's neck. But he blocked the attack, only to redirect the attack towards his thigh. Naraku screamed out in pain, while Inuyasha took the opportunity to gouge the sword back through his neck. But Naraku expected this, and blocked the attack. Naraku used his free hand to punch Inuyasha through the floorboards, his power only seeming to increase with each passing moment.

Miroku watched helplessly fromt he sidelines, and cried out for Inuyasha to watch out,"He's using a Shikon Shard, I'll bet you anything thats it!"

Naraku glared at Miroku, and hissed,"Stay out of this, you foolish bastard!"

Narkau jumped down the holes he created, aiming the tip of his blade for Inuyasha's gut. Inuyasha, knocked out from the fall, opened his eyes to find Naraku about to send a sword straight through his heart. He reached out, and clawed his hands,"Iron Reaver!"

He shattered the sword, as easily as expected. He held up his glowing claws, and growled," You thought you could kill me with trickery! You dirty, backstabbing, betraying..."

But Naraku had found a metal pipe in the debris, and now smacked Inuyasha right in the jaw with it. He sent Inuyasha through 4 more walls, and ran after his speeding body. Inuyasha made sure he didn't black out this time, and jumped right off the fifth wall, and headed straight for Naraku. He whipped out his hidden daggar in his sleeve,"You are dead!"

They rammed into each other, Inuyasha sinking the blade deep into Naraku's neck. Naraku gagged at first, but within moments, fell down dead. Inuyasha finally fell to one knee, and held the wound in his chest. At his side first, was Miroku, concern written all over his face,"Are you alright, Captin?"

"Yea, I'm fine. Get the body outta here.."

Miroku nodded, and went to get the body. He scanned it, feeling a certain remorse...

But also notice two pieces of paper rolled up in his hand. He bent down, and took them from the body. He unrolled them, a look of shock ran across his features.

"Inuyasha, read this!"

He handed him the first piece of paper, which was a note...

From his father?

_Dear Reader,_

_As you can tell, this is the famed ship _Wind Scar_, created by Kagura of the Winds herself to assure the best travel possible. But many wondered why she made this ship in the first place. It is infact, much more than a Ship. It is also protection for the Shikon Map, to the Shikon Chest. If you found this note, you must have found the map._

_If you are a pirate searching for the map, congradulations. You must have gone through alot to find this.._

_If you just happened to find it, well, lucky you. _

_The Shikon map is, Obviously, a map that leads to the Shikon chest. Many though, don't know what the Shikon chest is though. It is said to be the most fabulous treasure in history, a wish. A wish for anything, think about it...and dont Underestimate it. _

_That really is, the greatest Treasure in the world, isn't it?_

_The first place you need to go, is Higurashi Island. Find the Higurashi family, then the quest can begin. Be warned though, from Here on out, Lady Kagura is watching you. _

_- Inutake, Demon Lord of the West_

Inuyasha was shocked, his father wrote this!

"Well, my friend...seems we're going on a treasure hunt.."

Inuyasha stared wide eyed at the letter from his father...

He bent down to grab the map from Miroku's hands..

"Well, Miroku...head for Higurashi!"

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Well, what cha think? If it seems a little vague, i'm sorry. But of course, this'll be a love story! Omg, the pictures I've got for this story are turning out so great, can't wait to post them for you guys to see.

As always, please review, cause reviews are like candy that don't make you fat!

toodles!


	2. Heaven and Hell Collide

chp 2

The town of Higurashi was a quiet town at night, just the soft lantern lighting the cobblestone ways with a warm glow. When his ship came into dock, he felt like he had fallen into a sleepy time town. You know, those towns were nothing happens, and all the people are predictable and boring...

Well when morning came, he was sorry to say he was right...

He walked off the ship, into the nearest tavern, called the Black Raven. All the people in there were either cloaked crooks, or drunken regulars. Inuyasha pulled out a few Pints and placed them on the table,"Whiskey, on the rocks..."

He whewed, and looked around the bar. No one looked very interesting, but he tried the guy next to him for information.

"Hey old man, do you know anything about the Higurashi family?"

The cloaked nodded,"Aye, but ye be warned that they be a mighty frightful family."

This intrigued Inuyasha,"What do you mean..."

The figure coughed, in laughter,"Arrr, I be jokin' wit' you lad. They just be a noble family who founded this town. The mistress lost 'er husband to piracy years ago, and lives with 'er father, the founder of this town..."

Inuyasha's whiskey was here now, and he chugged it down with thirst quenching satisfation,"Continue, this conversation seems to have more to it than just the mistress of the house hold."

The cloaked figure coughed a laugh,"Aye, me point be, the mistress' first daughter.."

Inuyasha laid down a few more Pints on the counter, ordering another whiskey for both himself and this man.

"Me myself have ne'r seen the girl, but she's said to be of incredible beauty. Hair like a raven's wing, soft as silk, lips pink and tender for the takin', body as if carved from marble. 'er eyes are said to be so intense, that when ye be lookin' in 'em, yer joints start to stiffen, and yer bits n' pieces start to rise, just from 'er brown eyes."

"You seem to know alot about a girl you've never seen."

The old man chuckled,"Aye, she is a legend in this town..."

Inuyasha shot down his whiskey,"Where are they, you've intrigued me with this girl of yours."

"Follow south o' the tavern, and you'll come to a vender sellin' fish. Take the left street where 'e be, and follow that down til you find a huge white mansion. That'll be the Higurashi family."

"Thanks..."

He walked out, whipping open the swinging doors dramatically on his way out. But he needn't go far, to find the brown eyed beauty the man spoke of. She was indeed, amazingly beautiful... better that the man in the tavern described her. She wore shoulderless dress, that exposed her breasts quite erotically. She was just walking around, her fan in hand, fluttering about her flustered face.

He was intriged immensily by her...

He walked over,"Excuse me miss..."

She turned around, her brown eyes sparkling with golden highlights,"Yes sir? May I help you..."

"May I inquire to whether you are the miss Higurashi?"

She smiled,"Kagome Higurashi, how may I help such a gentleman as yourself?"

"I was actually wondering, if I may speak to your grandfather?"

She looked at him questionately,"And what for?"

"Man's buissnes miss, please understand..."

She glared,"Am I not trusted because I am a woman?"

"No ma'am, its just..."

Damn she was even more beautiful angry,"I just need to ask him something about a map..."

Her eyes went wide, she whispered into his ear,"The Shikon Map..."

He nodded, and she pursed her lips,"Please come with me..."

She took his hand, leading him down an alleyway. He could hear her heart thump, and smell her fear.She looked around, then she pulled his sword out from his belt, and held it against his throat,"You thieving pirate, how dare you try to steal the map from the Great Dog Lord!"

"Hey wait a minute, I am..."

But she covered his mouth,"Shut up you mongrel, I'm not afraid to deal with you!"

He bit her hand lightly, but enough to make her let loose,"I am the dog demon's son!"

She blinked,"Of coooourse you are, you are not Sesshomaru. I know you aren't, I have met him..."

"No, I'm Inuyasha..."

She lowered the sword,"Inu...yasha..."

She dropped the sword, and backed away with her hands behind her back,"I'm so sorry..I thought...that..."

He rubbed his neck,"Bitch..."

She had a look of shock streaming through her face,"Excuse me..."

"You heard me..."

Her face went into a growl, and she clenched her hand into a fist,"Hey, I'm only protecting my family ya jerk!"

"Yea, just assuming a guys out to get your family. Uh HELLO silver hair, DOG EARS!"

"What are you talking about, you have a hat on!"

He looked up, realizing he did have a hat on,"Yea well...Silver hair! Gold eyes!"

"Any one could use a potion or wear a wig! Besides, I didn't kill you, or even hurt you!"

"You jumped me in an alleyway!"

"Oh grow up, like I was gonna do it with witnesses, how dumb do you think I am!"

Through it all, through all that shit she just pulled...

All the could think about how hot that was, pulling out his own sword, in that dress...

AGH! Stop thinking about how totally perfect she is!

He watched her walk down the alley,"Follow me, we're going to my grandfather's..."

He watched her walk away as if nothing happened,"Hey wait a sec!"

He ran in front of her,"I want an apology."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, and ended up smiling. She gave him a stare that made his heart rush. She was doing it intentionally too, the way she was twisting her shoulders from side to side, swinging her hips. How she almost focused all her movement on swinging her uh...chest...

"Know what, you do deserve an apology..."

She looked up into his eyes, making his heart jump in intense manly feelings. She leaned up to his face, pursing her lips,"And know what..."

She raised her hand to tenderly stroke his face," You'll get one..."

Suddenly her face went angry again. Her hand reached out and smacked him right across the cheek. His skin burned as he tried not to let it show that she hurt. She glared at him,"There's your apology..."

And shit did she slap him, he was sure it was red there. It stung immediately, and he pressed his hand against it, which only made it sting more. He spoke through his clenched teeth,"Shit..."

She merely looked at her nails, eyeing him with her beauty,"You deserve it...and to think I called you a gentleman..."

She walked off ,"Its this way..."

She was like nothing he had ever seen before. She could be the model girl, then turn into this warrior babe, then turn into a seductive, gorgeous woman, then turn around and totally be a bitch...

God she was perfect...

He bent down, and picked up his sword. He slipped it back into his sheath, and followed Kagome to the white mansion. She knocked on the door, and a butler opened the door for her. Her emerald green dress shimmered against the black marble floors. He was momentarily breath taken...

"You're coat sir?"

He looked at the butler,"Uh, thanks..."

He took off the trench coat and handed it to him. He watched Kagome climb the jet black staircase, standing there as if waiting for him,"Come one now, don't go off lolly gagging like an oaf!"

He glared at her, but followed anyways. Her skirt swished along the marble steps, her shoes tapping with each step. She walked like...something totally out of his league...

What was he doing, thinking about her like that, she was a bitch...

A gorgeous bitch...

_God stop thinking nice things about her dammit! She slapped you moron, you're not supposed to think thats hot!_

He just decided to think about Naraku for a second, and how fucking pissed off he was at him. The damn bastard, the damn idiot too. Who just jabs a hanyou in the chest and expects him to die. Honestly, he thought Naraku had alot more sense than that. There was something he was missing, something that didn't fit...

"Here, this is his safe room. I'll intoduce you two..."

She opened a huge steel door, that opened into a massive library of more books than he had ever seen in his life , than he even thought existed. An old man was reading from one of them aloud...

"There is only one thing in the world worse that being talked about, and thats not being talked about..." He said with a somewhat akward voice. He noticed the two new entrances into this library, and he took note of it. He placed the book down, and walked over to them,"Hello, and who might this be Kagome, a new suitor?"

She blushed,"Um...no sir, this is Inuyasha..."

She watched his face go from shock to interest,"So you finally found the map, I told that Inutake that the map was foolishly hidden. But of course, it has been oh...47 years since he hid the map..."

"But what is the map, what is the Shikon Chest?"

The old man chuckled mysteriously,"Do you know that old wife's tale about..."

"Wife's tale?" he interupted quite rudely. But not without consequence, the old man came up to him and smacked him on the head with the book he was reading,"Yes, WIFE'S TALE! A story women tell each other about their husbands, most of them end up getting back to the husband themselves. They have now been called wise tales, but the proper notion for the name is wife's tales. Now as I was saying..."

He sat down in a leather chair, and poured Inuyasha a cup of red wine. He took it gratefully, taking a sip, a little surprised by the flavor,"This is fantastic!"

"I would hope so, the grapes were grown and raised on Lady Kagura's volcanic isle."

"How did you get her permission for such privledges?"

The old man smiled mischeviously," Did your father ever tell you how he got his ship?"

Inuyasha thought about it momentarily,"No, I don't think he ever did..."

The old man turned his figner around the wine cup's rim,"Your father, the Great Dog Lord, was friends with me. But how we became friends is very unlikely. See, we were both pursuing a woman, named Izayoi..."

Inuyasha's face went into a bit of shock, that was his mother's name...

"She was a human, but your father was so entraced by her intellect and beauty, that it didn't matter to him that love between them was forbidden. Of course I had a mere crush on her, and soon I lost interest. But for a time, I rivaled against your father for you mother's heart. One day he challenged me to a fight, and I of course declined, I am a mere human with no special powers, I could never defeat him. Yet I knew that he would kill me anyways, so I proposed a deal. If I helped him with thy lady's heart, he would spare me..."

"So eventually you two became friends from your helping my father?"

"Exactly, soon those two fell in a very deep love. But soon the youkai found out about it, and they all had somethign to ay about it. Your mother was force to leave her beloved, and find safety somewhere else. Mainly, in me..."

"In you?"

"Yes, I sealed her away in my mansion, away from the youkai that plagued her. She was in solitude here, but soon found that her love had produced something much more than she expected..."

Inuyasha knew what was coming,"She found out she was pregnant with me.."

"Yes, she was so happy too. I know you don't know it, but she often talked to you while you were in her belly. She promised she would always love and protect you..."

Inuyasha watched his face fall,"But unforetunately, for both of you, she became weak in the final times of her pregnancy. She knew that she would most likely give birth to a still born child, but she refused to give up. She prayed that you would be healthy and lively, and that it would be ok.."

"But she died..."

"Yes, and it was a terrible lose. Your father was there, while you were being born. He grieved her terribly, and for a time considered suicide. But when he began to watch you more carefully, he realized that you needed him more than anything. He vowed to protect you, and to love you the best a father could."

"So.."

"Your mother gave you to him, and he truely loved you. That is why you have the _Wind Scar _not Sesshomaru. Don't tell anyone, but Sesshomaru was an accident. Your father had a heart though, and took him in as his own so the poor boy didn't have to grow up alone in the world. Unfortunately, that backfired on him, for Sesshomaru never did know that he wasn't supposed to be. Now he's the arrogant, mindless..." He mumbled a few mord words under his breath..

"But I was an accident too..."

"But you were out of love, thats the difference. Besides, now you know, so shut up about the subject until after I have finished talking..."

Inuyasha decided this information was more valuable than his curiosity, so he tried to keep his mouth shut...

"Anyways, after your mother died, you father went back to pirating. He brought you along with him, and not your brother Sesshomaru. The reason, now we know, but something also happened around the time you began training to inheirit the ship. Your father gained another ship, a ship even you didn't know he had..."

"Yes, I do remember something along those lines.."

" Before he met your mother, your father found a map, a map that lead to the Shikon Chest. Lady Kagura of the Winds wanted to know more anout it, and in exchange for the knowledge. She built him this ship, and told him the map was to be hidden there. It took 39 years to build, but the map was there in the ship since the first day of building. It was hidden in a pipe, that never worked..."

"So techinacally the map has only been hidden for 8 years..."

"8 years at sea, 47 years hidden in his ship..."

Inuyasha felt almost supernatural right now, like he was in a fairytale of some sorts. This was so much like a dream it wasn't funny...

"Well Inuyasha, do you understand?" The old man Higurashi asked.

"Yea, I get it..."

He glanced over at Kagome who was sitting down quietly sipping at a glass of wine. Her eyes flickered on him for a moment, then turned away as if she didn't mean to have him she her look at him. He to turned away, a little embarassed at himself for looking over at her in the first place.

"How long with you be at port, Inuyasha?"

He thought about it,"The ship needs repairs, and we need to stock up on food and supplies. I'd say about 2 months..."

Kagome almost chaoked on her wine,"2 months! For all that!"

He looked over at her,"When you have a ship that big, you'll understand..."

She narrowed her eyes at him,"Fine..."

Old man Higurashi saw something in how she reacted, something he almost knew instantly could be something much more,"Inuyasha, please, you are welcomed to stay with us. Your crew as well..."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, smiling,"As for most of my crew, they can stay on the ship. I'm sure you don't have enough room for all my men. But as for my first mate and I, yes please," He looked over at the old man,"We'd love to sleep in a bed that stays where its supposed to..."

Old grampa Higurashi smiled,"Yes, I do rememebr what a problem that was."

Kagome looked infuriated, and her cheeks became redder and redder. Her eyes glared at him, as he merely smiled,"I'd love to get to know your grandaughter much better, perhaps she would like a tour of my ship?"

"Oh yes, Kagome would you like to see his ship?"

Her grandfather looked excited, and she knew it wasn't lady-like to refuse an invitation. Grr, he had her pinned, she had to act on her best behavior when people were around. Geez, if only she hadn't jumped him in that alley, things wouldn't be so caught between a rock and a hard spot.

"That would be lovely,"She almsot growled through clenched teeth.

"Tis an honor, madame..." Inuyasha said charmingly.

She saw him extend his hand, to help her up. She accepted it, and got out of the chair, trying to keep on her guard. Inuyasha was gonna be a tricky one...

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Yay, the entrance of Kagome! A tour of the ship! Oh boy! Pictures will be up soon, just have to finish up a few things. Well, I think this is turning out rather well, don't cha think? This is so much fun to write, I must say! Anyways, yea its like 7 in the morning, and i'm up cause i have to be somewhere at 9 and I can't sleep nemore cause my dreams are keeping me like weirded out...

I dreamt the Shikon jewel was a candle ( you know your obsessed with Inuyasha when you start dreaming about it), yea anyways. I'm crazy good like that!

people who reviewed(cause their lovely doves!)

Ichirou-GoLuckyHanyou

squeekers

StarSapphirex

xsachi

inubaby2

Kagome Lover!

Yay you all get a box of pocky! MMMMM so good!

Thanks all for reviewing, lets do it again sometime, like right now. See the buttons right there, its purple at the bottom of the screen. Its a nice button, people should press more often. Except for those mentioned above, cause their cool like that!

Toodles!


	3. Apologies and instincts

chp 3

Kagome groaned as Inuyasha walked her to his ship, completely ignoring the fact she didn't want to go. She shipped out her fan and fluttered it around a bit, cooling herself down a bit. The docks were as humid as ever, and the stench of sweaty men permeated the air. Kagome choked a bit, trying not to get sick from the smell.

"Ah, don't cha love the docks?" Inuyasha stated rather enthusiastically.

"Charmed..." Kagome said blantly. She watched as man after sweaty man hauled shipment cargos onto the decks of their ships. She looked at each ship with care, trying to figure out which one was Inuyasha's...

It was evident soon enough..

It was huge, gigantic, three times the size of her house. It must be twice the height of her house too..

"Well what do you think?" He said proudly...

"Compensating for something?" She replied...

Inuyasha growled, but Kagome turned to him, and said rather believable,"Its magnificent, I've never seen anything like it!"

He was a little surprised at that comment, she wasn't one for polite conversation it seemed,"Glad you like it..."

"I always thought my granfather was joking when he said it was bigger than the mansion. But wow..."

She looked genuinely amazed as they walked up the bridge to get on the first floor of the ship. Her mouth dropped as she entered too, how the cherry wood floors shined so well she could see her reflection. How the walls were lined with a thousand doors. She looked at him,"This is...amazing..."

"Yea, its alot of extra work, but its worth it. This is the floor for the crew, there are 100 people who work this ship, and each and everyone of them should get their own ship. They are all more worthy of this ship than I am..."

She couldn't help but notice, that his eyes were on fire. They were aglow, when he talked about his ship. Her heart was a little shocked she hadn't noticed it before. She assumed that golden eyes were just a color, but now she could see that they could glow...

"Well, I'm sure you don't want to walk around these slums do you?"

"You call this slums, this is real cherry wood flooring, and th..."

He covered her mouth,"Its a sarcastic nickname not meant to be taken seriously..."

She squirmed away from his hand, a little taken back that he would actually grab her mouth without second though...

"Do you want to see the rest of the ship?"

She nodded, and followed him to a set of stairs. But this was not just any set of stairs, they spiraled up at least 50 ft. It was a good climb she assumed, a climb she wasn't sure she was quite ready to take...

"Do you want to climb, or take the short cut?"

"What?"

"Well you can climb the stairs...or take a short cut, just like I said in the first place."

"Well, short cut I guess..."

He smiled,"Alright then.."

He heaved her over his shoulder, and jumped up. She almost screamed, almost..

But she realized he was jumping up the stairs, with little or no effort either. She stayed quiet, watching the spiraling stairs swirl down, while she spiraled up.

"There, short cut..."

He set her down, and turned around to face the 2nd floor. Kagome was expecting something like the first floor, but nothing like this. There were hardly any doors on this floor, and the walls were lined with pictures and silk clothing. She looked at Inuyasha,"Why is there a bunch of silk on the walls?"

"It was my mother's. My dad made me promise that I would never forget that she loved me, so this is a sort of tribute to her..."

"Thats really good of a pirate?"

"Who says I'm a pirate?"

"Like you, the great Inuyasha, is an honest sailor."

He had to chuckle at that one,"Thats true, I guess the trench coat gave it away..."

"I knew you wree a pirate the moment I met you."

"I knew you were a bitch the moment I met you.."

Her eyes narrowed, and she snapped her fan shut with a sinister snap,"Do not call me that, I am a lady, not a common placed whore."

"Sure Kagome, what ever you say..."

"**Miss **Kagome, Inuyasha..."

"**Captain** Inuyasha to you **ma'am**..."

She glared daggars at him,"You..."

He smiled, and bowed down to her, "After you..."

She resisted the urge to throw something at him, and walked down the hallway. Her hands were clenched in fists, and she bit down hard on her lip. He was SO INFURUATING!

"My my, Captain, what a lovely lady you have brought to grace my presence.."

She looked up from her scowl, to see a charming young man with jet black hair, cut short. He had deep blue eyes, that looked like the night tide. His smile was handsome, though (she admitted) not as nice as Inuyasha's. She immediately smile,"Well its nice to see somone with some manners."

Inuyasha walked over to him and punched him over the head," What are you doing?"

The punch didn't seem to faze him much,"Just talking to your beautiful lady friend here."

Inuyasha glared at him,"Lady, what lady?"

Kagome smiled, and started to fan herself, as if the man's looks were making her heat up from the inside out,"And who is your friend here, Inu...Captain?"

"This is my first mate, Miroku...the lady's man of the ship. Also the dipshit of the year..."

Kagome looked appauled,"Excuse me, do you have any manners around a girl?"

"Oh so now your a girl? What is it, lady or girl?"

Miroku stepped between them before Kagome did something irrational,"Not Inuyasha, we musn't treat her with such direspect,"He turned to Kagome,"Forgive me for not properly introducing myself, I am Miroku, first mate to this rudely mannered captain in front of us."

Inuyasha turned red from anger, and Kagome smiled,"I am Lady Kagome, of the Higurashi family. I must say it is nice to know some men haven't forgotten a little mannerism."

Miroku smiled and kissed her hand,"For a lovely lady such as yourself..."

"THAT'S IT!" Inuyasha huffed,"Miroku you are on watch duty, right now. Now go watch something thats not her!"

Miroku bowed,"Excuse me my lady."

He ran off before Inuyasha lashed out at him. Inuyasha stood up tall,"Bastard..."

Kagome stretched her arms to the ground, trying to suppress herself from hitting him,"He was not a bastard, in fact he was far from it. HE knows how to treat a lady, HE knows how to not act like an idiotic, unmannered, selfish..."

She trailed off, for his face was just inches from hers. He glared at her, those golden eyes of his making it just that more intense. He waited for her to finish, and when she didn't he said,"Forgive me, I was not acting my best..."

Now that was the shocker of the year, Inuyasha apologizing to her for being a jerk...

"Its hard to not act harsh to you, otherwise..."

Kagome watched him trail off, wishing he would continue. But she just felt him lightly shove her away,"Feh, come on, I promised to show you my ship..."

She watched as he walked off, his hair swishing behind him. She watched him curiously, and followed him...

_If I let myself fall for her, I will surely be heartbroken. I am a hanyou, not the human she desires. She's too perfect to not fall in love with, I must keep my head on straight..._

_00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_

Kagome sat at her night stand, brushing out her hair. She sighed, knowing that today was such a mix of bad and good. She met a really gorgeous guy, who she couldn't tell if he was bad or good. She met another gorgeous guy, who seemed to like her alot, but seemed too much of a player to take love seriously...

She sighed, being a hopeless romantic. No matter what her grandfather said, she had never really had any suitors. Sure men thought she was beautiful, but thats all they thought about her. They didn't know about how she liked to paint, or dance, or right with swords...

Yes it even shocked her, when she realized her passion. She loved fencing, more than anything else. She learned how to fence around age 10, and had been fighting ever since. She was quite a mix, wasn't she. Raised to be a proper young woman, yet also raised to be a head strong young woman. She didn't know what she was aroudn that Inuyasha character. He was so...interesting.

He was polite one minute, calling her a bitch the next, then apologizing for it. What kinda guy does that? The scary thing was she couldn't tell what side she liked better, the rude controling side or the polite gentleman side. The choice should be obvious, yet she was really confused on the issue.

_I am stupid, Inuyasha is a half-demon. His heart is probably more demon than anything, so it can't love..._

Another part of her told her that his father loved a human, maybe he could too. But she had met Sesshomaru, and had little doubt Inuyasha wasn't the same on the inside. Sesshomaru was cold and heartless, and coming fromt he same background, how could Inuyasha have any good inside him.

_But if he doesn't have any good, then why do I keep seeing it in him?_

She stopped combing out her tangles, and got off her little stool. She walked over to her bed, and looked at her evening gown her maids had picked out. It was beautiful, as expected, but different from anything she'd worn before. It was silk, like the colthing on the walls in Inuyasha's hallway. It was also quite large, like a sheet. But the pattering was gorgeous, red silk with creamy white on the ends of the sleeves.

One of her maids tapped her shoulder, and she turned around,"What is this garmet?"

The maid had a timid voice, but spoke up,"Its a kimono, from the land of your birth. Your grandfather requested you wearing it tonight..."

"Why?"

The maid looked afraid to say more, but spoke up anyways,"He said tonight was a celebration, and that you were to wear this...That's all I know miss..."

_A celebration?_

"Ok, but um...how do you wear a kimono?"

The maid smiled,"Let me help you miss..."

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Inuyasha waited at the table, in a red man's kimono. For some weird reason, the old man wanted them wearing this kinda attire.

And Inuyasha couldn't argue with him, these were definately classy...

But of course he stopped gawking at himself when Kagome came down the stairs...

At first he wondered what it was like to live here all the time, and see her everynight sporting a new dress, looking more beautiful than any model ever could. Her hair was pinned up into a huge bun at the back of her head, but a few stray tresses tumbled down elegantly around her neck. Her eyes were painted up, this thickened black lashes and red paint. But her kimono was the most amazing thing on her...

How she wore the kimono, well most people couldn't wea rit like that wihtout having worn one before. But she wore it like it was apart of her, and not just clothing. It looked like she wore one everyday, and that it had just naturally become apart of her essence. But in fact, he knew she had never worn a kimono before. And she looked stunning in it...

The red kimono was the same color as his, but the red turned into a milky color when it started trailing down the sleves. The obi was cream too, but had red sketching all over it. The bottom was decorated with creamy outlines of flowers, that stuck together at the bottom so you couldn't see the red beneath.

_She looks...amazing..._

He tried not to gawk at her, because he knew it would look bad on his reputation. She sat down next to him, seeing that that was the only seat left at the table. He waited for her to look over at him, and give a dirty stare. But she merely unfolded her napkin, and placed it in her lap.

"Good evening, Captain..."

She nodded as if giving him a good gesture of approval for him to speak to her. She sat patiently, waiting for him to say something...

"Good evening, Miss Kagome."

She smiled,"How is your room?"

"Very..very nice..."

He tried not to gasp, it was so hot in this kimono now. He watched her eyes glow happily, too happy..

She didn't swipe out at him though, or do anything he expected her to. In fact she just dropped the subject, and went to talking to her brother across the table. He was quite glad for that too. She was stiffling his...air...making everything hard to do...

Most men don't know this, because they never have and most never will have the chance to experience it. But when a man sees a woman in a kimono, it does something to him. A kimono can make or break a woman, because it really is all about the look. If a woman wear a kimono correctly, she looks like she floats when she walks, as if she is flying right over the ground. All the clothing just seems to hide her, which just plays more with your mind. But If a woman isn't graceful, and just walks around in a kimono as if it was anything else, well she doesn't capture a man like the other woman does.

But Kagome, amazingly enough, cared about this kimono. With every movement she made, it was as if she was trying to show off her kimono. She she reached to bite off her fork, she was blessing him with a glimpse of her bare arm. She she bent over, he could see her bare neck. Just these little traces of bare skin were enough to make him crawl in his skin.

She looked over at him, immediately joggling him out of his deep thought. Her eyes...something so meager, yet they said everything. Her emotions were always glazed behind those eyes, just as they were with every woman. You can tell alot about a woman from her eyes, because even if she smiles, her eyes are the true teller that she is happy.

"More roast, Captain..."

"Yes please, thank you..."

He scooped the meat onto his plate, watching the blood spilling over his potatos. He passed it to Mrs. Higurashi, who passed it to someone else. He stirred his potatos, watching the red soak in..remembering a blade with the blood soaked in too...

_Tetsusaiga..._

That blade betrayed him long ago, it didn't protect people anymore, not since...

Anger swelled up within, burning away all thought of Kagome. He glared down at the swirling red, remembering all the red on that blade. How could he let such a thing happen, how could he..

"Captain?"

He spiked his head towards the voice, it was Kagome. She jumped a little, a bit frightened of the sudden action. When she saw she wasn't going to be eaten, she spoke,"Are you alright? You looked a little flustered..."

He 'fehed',"It was nothing, just a bad memory..."

She nodded, wishing there was something she could say to make him feel better. He seemed so troubled right now...

"Excuse me, please, I have something I need to go do.."

He got up and left the table just like that. He stomped up the stairs, his hands clenched into fists. Kagome watched him, afraid for him. She got up without saying anything, and followed him. She just had to, she couldn't bear to see anyone that upset, and not at least try to do something about it.

She ran up the stairs, and followed him to his room. He didn't even notice her behind him, he was so out of it. She grabbed him kimono sleeve, and pulled him to a stop.

"What happened?"

He growled deep inside his throat, no doubt supressing something much more sinister,"Its none of your buissness..."

He torn his arm away from her hands, and returned to going back to his room. He didn't care abotu the smell of her right now, he didn't care how much it should hurt to leave her here frightened and confused. It didn't matter at all that he was still here...

Nothing mattered anymore...

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It was dawn, and Inuyasha was back on his ship, where he belonged. It was stupid of him to port here, any idiot could see it coming as soon as an interesting girl came along. Interesting meant intellegent, intellegent meant knowing you liked her, like turns into love, love turns into pain...

Pain turns into death...

He knew that, his father told him that more than once. He didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps on that issue, and he knew if he stayed much longer, he would. Sure he had only been there a day, but he had demon blood in him. Demon blood always had strong instinct, and his instinct told him he needed to get away from that girl.

They were already out of the harbor, already well on their way to finding the treasure...

Greed was always better than love for a pirate...

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Another chapter down, jeez in 3 chapters a lot sure has happened, eh? But I love it...mua hahaha

can anyone guess whats gonan happen next? Cmon take a guess, I dare ya. Well this has been a fun summer, I started a story at the beginning, and finished it at the end. Now at the end I start a new beginning, If that makes any sense?

I'm so excited about this story, really excited. I can't tell you guys how much stuff there will be coming your way, like crazy stuff, it'll be oodles of fun! Anyway, starting monday I have to go back to school, and I have band like almost every day of the week. Updates will be slower than I want, I'm sorry to say, but I promise not to disappoint. This story will not end up like...well another one I started last year round this same time. But I promise I will make my updates as fast as I can!

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super duper! You guys deserve a round of applause, totally. Know what I hate, people who read a story, but never review it. I mean its just common curtosy to give a comment, I always do. Even if its a bad story, I always give constructive help to better the writer. If all anyone ever tells you it, great chapter update soon, then you'll never really know if its a good chapter or just one person's opinion...

Not that I want peopel to stop saying great chapter, cause its encouraging for sure...

Oh geez I'm a rambler...

Ok well I promise to update those pictures soon, hopefully by next week.

Review (its the purple button right there at the bottom, you know)

Toodles!


	4. An abusive demon named Koga

chp 4

There are two typed of boredom in the world. The first is where you haven't the will to do anything , because you know you won't be able to satisy the boredom. So instead of trying to find something to do, you complain about it, since that seems to help. The second kind, was the kind of broed you are when you can think of a million things to do, but for one reason or another, you can't do them.

The second one, was how Kagome felt right now. She had found Inuyasha's chambers bare this morning, at sunrise. She had the nerve to follow him, onto his ship. She just thought he needed some alone time on his home. Little did she know, that it was the last time she would ever see her home again.

She wore a simple dress of a warm purple, something she just threw on for concealment's sake. She had on a simple pair of ballarina flats, something she rarely had the chance to use. She thought this was a suitable outfit fo rhte occasion she thought she would be in. But apparently, fate didn't have what she thought it had in mind...

When she boarded the ship, she immediately stowed away in one of the rooms Inuyasha had showed her. She waited for a while, to come out after he had cooled off. And this is where we came in...

She waited, bored as anything. She knew she needed to give him good while before she came to comfort him. So here she was, curled up in a ball, waiting for time to pass. She had nothing of entertainment purposes, so she decided now would be a good time to think about this. This being her and Inuyasha...

She had known him only a day, but yet it felt like much longer. Something inside her, she didn't know what, but somethign connected with him. As stupid as it sounded, she had neve felt like this about anyone. Problem is she didn't even know his personality, or his hobbies, or...well anything about him. She sighed, knowing that this was quite a predicament...

Why did this hanyou consume her thoughts, was it because he was a swashbuckling pirate? Was it his exotic looks, or his ship? Was it his fiery personality, with what seemed like a kinder side to it? She didn't have a clue, but she just gave herself a goo dmany reasons as to why she **should **be intrigued. But instinct told her that it was something else, something that went much deeper than just the things she already knew about him.

Suddenly the floor beneath her rocked as if she was riding a wave. She tumbled over, and fell face first onto the hard wood floor. Her hair pin popped out of her bun, releasing all of her hair in a very dramatic pulse. She got up, shaking out her hair. She looked around, afraid of her suspicions.

She pulled herself up, and hobbled over to the door. The floor rocked like it was an earthquake, swishing her around like water in a bucket. She opened the door, and ran out of there. She looked down the hallway, searching for the stairs. She had to get on the upper deck!

"Well, well, well, Look what I've found, a stow away.."

She turned, to find a man with long brown hair in a ponytail. She shrieked, out of surprise and fear. She started to run away, but his movements were so fast! He caught her arms, and pulled her into his chest. He started digging his fingers into her skin, as if coaxing her to stop squirming. Of course she could tell right away he was a demon, his strength was 100x more than hers. But she was a stubborn girl, and continued to try and break free.

"Looks like the captain might have a good mind with you..."

"Inuyasha?"

He slapped her cheek,"You don't dare call the captain without his title!"

She bit her lip, and cringed from her stinging cheek. He hauled her towards the stairs, and started to climb. He tossed her over his shoulder, and somehow within an instant, they had reached the top. He threw her back on the ground, then began to dig his fingers into her arm again.

She began to realize, that they were on the top deck. She dared to look behind her, dared to even fathom if the ship was even tied up anymore...

But the town of Higurashi was nothing more than a shrinking speck being swallowed by the sea. But she didn't have time to even think about it, before she was thrown on the deck floor. The demon with the ponytail smiled,"My you're a pretty one..."

She looked around, seeing a swirl of unfamiliar face smiling down at her. She heard men whispering to each other, pulling her hair, touching her dress. She squealed, and started to wave her hands around her. She tried to get them to stop, but all they did was take her arms, and twist them painfully behind her. Then they tied them up with coarse rope, so she couldn't struggle against their greedy hands.

She screamed, which apparently had some effect. Some of the men must have sensitive hearing, and many began to cover their ears. She scurried up on her legs, and began to run away from the pack of men. But being a mere human was not an advantage, for the men were in front of her in mere moments. She gasped as one of the men puckered hsi lips, and leaned in to kiss her.

But his head was pulled away at the last second, and he was thrown backwards. She opened her eyes, to stare at the demon who had originally taken her. She tossed her head from side to side, screaming for help. He payed no mind, and grabbed her shoulders again, this time allowing his nails to gouge her skin.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to forget all this. The pain in her arms was such torture, and she couldn't help but wince from the pain. She breathed in hard through her teeth that were biting her lip, hearing that snakelike hiss the manerism made. She looked up, seeing a flash of silver before she was thrown onto the ground.

"I found this girl in the crew's deck, Captain, a stow away no doubt..."

She knew there would be a bruise there tomorrow, where she had landed on her left shoulder. She felt someone lift her, and cut her ropes. She looked at his face, realizing immediately it was Inuyasha's. He set her down gently, staring at the demon who had taken her up here.

"Good job Koga, really. I mean, sure you were purposely hurting her with your claws, and trying to bruise her, but good job. Yes Koga, you deserve some kind of praise alright,"He took Kagome's wrists and held them before Koga's face,"You rubbed her wrists raw, punctured her skin with your claws, and will ultimately bruise her shoulder. Yes great job, you slobbering piece of shit."

Koga looked down misrebly at his feet, like a child who was feeling guilty for his naughty actions,"Forgive me captain..."

"No, not this time,"He turned over to a few men who were standing nearby, watching the incident unfold,"You three, take him to the brig, bread and water only for a week. No getting out..."

They nodded, and took Koga towards the cells at the base of the ship. He glared, knowing that he was going to have to serve this sentence...

Inuyasha promptly turned to Kagome,"What in hell are you doing on my ship anyway?"

She rubbed her raw wrists,"I was trying to find out why you left the mansion this morning. But I figured you were probably still mad, so I waited out an hour before I came to find you. When I did, that..Koga guy took my arms, and started hitting me and digging his nails into my arms. Then you stupid crew practically tried to rape me, and that only didn't happen because I have a high pitched scream. Then Koga started to..."

He was staring at her, and she got the feelig he knew what had happened and stuff. She looked back, towards the place where her town used to be,"Can you take me back home?"

He looked a litle stunned at that,"Um, no."

She dropped her jaw,"Why not?"

He sighed,"We're out on a current right now, and the wind is blowing the opposite way of your town. If we left for your town we wouldn't be able to get supplies and things, then we would be off scheduale, then we wouldn't be able to protect the map..."

"But..I don't wanna be on this stinking ship!"

He looked at her, no pitty in his gaze,"Shoulda thought about that before you stowed away..."

"You have no compassion for anyone!" She yelled at him, which almost made him laugh.

"Trust me, Miss Higurashi, I have compassion. I'm letting you stay on my ship, without work, without doing anything, and you're not grateful?"

"Why should I be?"

He smiled,"Just think of all the time we'll get to spend together!" He said enthusastically.

She glared at him, knowing full well that this thing she felt inside was growing stronger. She felt his hand take her arm, tendery adressing the wounds...

"Come on, lets go fix you up..."

He sighed, and took her across the top deck. She followed him silently, staring that the soft blue water. This was what she would see from now on, the open sea. She'd never see any of the town again..

She turned to follow Inuyasha, before she started to breakdown. She sighed sadly, and looked at Inuyasha's swaying silver hair, hoping it might do something to take her mind off her family. But of course, what was so interesting about his hair. Hos it shined with silver highlights both light and dark. How the tangled mass was always in disorder, never properly brushed. It looked so soft though, like if it was brushed it would just glide into a perfectly straight glaze of hair.

She felt a little better, so she guessed his hair helped...

They started down the stairs, only going about 20 steps down before they got off on one of the sub levels of the ship. The way the stair case worked, was that there were about 20 sub levels of this ship, and two main ones. The staircase had little platforms at every other spiral, to let out off on that level of the ship, like the stairs of a building.

Well the level they went on, was Inuyasha's private level, where he had his safe room, his bedroom, and excersise room...

Well you get the point, all his stuff was there...

Anyway, so they got off on that level, and traveled down another hallway. Kagome noticed that these doors were of much higher quality than the other ones the crew had. They walked down about three or four doors, and entered a red door. Inuyasha opened it for her, to reveal a room fit for a king.

There was a four post bed, nailed to to the floor. It was so huge, like twice the size of her king size bed. There was silk sheets on the bed, and lots of fluffy pillows. There was a huge rug on the floor, with a red and gold pattern of dragons all over it. The room was lit with paper lanterns, giving off a soft white light. Of course the room had huge windows too, and she could see that one of the windows lead out onto a private deck, overlooking the sea.

"I see you're stunned at the decor of my room..."

"There's so much too it..."

He laughed,"It was my father's room, before mine. So the decorating was actually his..."

She glanced over at him, studying his facial emotions...

"Come on, lets go fix you up..."

He took her to the bed, and told her to sit down. He walked into the bathroon, and she looked around at the room. Everything was red, gold, and black. She could find alot of things from the orient, like fans and weapons. The furniture was both bamboo and black wood. She heard his boots tapping against the wood, and returned to staring at the wall.

"Enjoying the view?"

She smiled,"You have a beautiful room, its lovely."

He brought a box of medical supplies, which Kagome found quite clever. Everything had a place in the box, and it even shut and had a handle, like a briefcase,"What a clever...box you have there..."

He looked at the medicine box,"Thank you, stole it from a doctor outside the italin border."

She looked down,"I bet you've killed alot of men, haven't you..."

He felt her uneasiness, but smiled,"Nah, never killed a man in my life. Most people are cowards, and run away from the word priate. Others who are actually brave enough to fight us are always beaten, and tied up. We steal, tie up the crew and passengers, then leave, its that simple. Most people don't know this, but if you have an established reputation as a pirate, you almost never have to kill someone..."

Kagome watched as he squeezed someointment out of a tube, and rubbed it on her puncture wounds. It was soothing, to have the cool ointment on her burning arms. Inuyasha took such care in adressing them too, as if he was tending to a broken china doll. His tender touch was so light, that she didn't even feel it.

"So, looks like Koga likes you.."

"He what?"

"Koga hurt you, so it would stop him from wanting you. He's a very emotional guy, who'll rape you if he has the chance."

"What.."

"He's a wolf demon, and a horny wolf demon at that. He used to hump any female thing that walked across his path, but he's better now. But he should have known better than to hurt you like that, escpecially when my scent is all over you..."

"What..."

He smiled,"You were around me all day, what would you expect. He probably thought you were a prostitue stowing away to steal something, don't worry about it though. I bet they seem like a bunch of demon freaks, but trust me, they haven't seen a woman in a long time."

"They had no right, to touch me and pull my hair..."

He tied the dressings,"Yes I know, but please forgive them. They really are a stupid bunch.."

She smiled, as he began the other arm,"Inuyasha, why are you doing this?"

"Because your wounds need dressings, genius..."

"No I mean, not making me go back.."

He looked at her," You knew this ship would sail, don't lie to yourself next time you get on a ship at sunrise. You know you want to be here, if you didn't you woulda cried..."

She knew that it was true, she did want to be here. She couldn't deny that fact when it was right in front of her face,"...I guess you're right..."

He nodded," 'Course I'm right, I'm always right..."

She shook her head,"How can you always be right, its impossible."

"Not for me, in fact I bet you I can tell you what you'll be doing in 10 seconds.."

"What is that..."

"You'll be wondering why you..."

"Why I what?"

"Shh..."

His eyes were closed, and his ears were twitching about. Kagome held in her breath, not daring to even breathe. He looked like his concentration was focused on something, like a noise or a smell...

He whispered,"Kagome, get behind me, right now.."

Kagome did as told, sensing the seriousness of the situation. She jumped off the bed, and went behind his back, her hands holding onto his shoulders. Her eyes darted this way and that, looking for anything out of the ordinary...

Suddenly...she felt something. She couldn't explain what she felt, but it was as if something was once attached to her body and she still could feel it. Like someone cut off her finger, but she still could feel the coldness of the ice around it. It was a very peculiar feeling, that was very hard to explain...

But something was calling to her...

"Inuyasha, do you feel that?"

"Feel w..."

Suddenly a tentacle broke through the window, and grabbed Inuyasha's throat. Kagome screamed, but Inuyasha merely slashed it away with his claws. Kagome ran to his side, trying to see if he was hurt...

"GO KAGOME! GET OUTTA HERE!"

But he was too late in his warning, for soon a tentacle reach out for her and lifted her up in the air. She screamed, and tried to get it to go away. She pushed her hand at it, feeling somethign within her escape. She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid of the pain around her neck.

But instead she fell the the ground, a piece of steaming flesh remained on the ground. She looked at it in amazement, wondering if Inuyasha had done that. She looked over at him, but he was staring at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a miko!"

She looked at him, confusion written all over her face,"A what?"

She didn't even notice the tentacle about to grab for her. He jumped towards her, pushing her out of the way. She landed a few feet away from the spot, and Inuyasha had reached for his sword by now. Kagome didn't realize it before, but his sword was rusty, and doubtfully could even cut those tentacles.

_Why was he so frightened in the alleyway then?_

Suddenly the sword pulsed, and she saw something red flow out of Inuyasha and into the sword. It started to glow a white light, then it started to crackle like a tired lightning bolt. It spread through the air, and when it dispersed, a gleaming silver sword larger than any she'd ever seen was in front of her.

He jumped up, slicing the tentacles left and right. Kagome gasped at his speed, and mastery. He could sense when tentacle were coming at him, and jump up, flip backwards, and land behind them. She had never seen anyone with so much power...

Sudden;y he jumped out the window, and Kagome screamed. There weren't any decks on the outside for him to land on!

"Inuyasha!"

She ran to the window, watching Inuyasha throw his sword down and create a huge bolt of yellow power flames that was sent towards what seemed to be the source of the tentacles. She watched, scared of what would happen to him. The Black Blob burst into flames, and soon fell harmlessly into the sea. She looked around, trying to find Inuyasha...

For one long second she thought he was dead..

But soon she felt a hand on her shoulder, she spun around seeing Inuyahsa...

She couldn't help what happened next, she threw her arms at him, giving him a huge hug,"I thought you were dead!"

He looked at her, than looked around,"It was just a demon puppet..."

He watched her cling to his shirt, a gesture of thankfulness he guessed.

"Don't scare me like that again!"

He smirked,"If that was scary, I'd like to see you in real danger..."

She pushed herself off him, glaring,"Now I'm beign ridiculed for being worried about you.."

He rolled his eyes,"It was a joke.."

He walked over, looking at her arms,"Lets finish your dressings..."

She walked over to the bed, and felt Inuyasha's tender touch again. It surprised her, that someone with such power could be so gentle, but I guess she was only a human...

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Miroku sat in his room, writing down navigation charts down on a piece of paper. He heard a knock at the door, and the heard the familiar boots of his Captain..

"Hello Inuyasha..."

He sat down in a nearby chair, his face giving it away that he was being troubled...

"Did you see that thing that attacked the ship today?"

"Yes, some of the crew mates started to attack it, but I told them it was just a squid or something, and that you were on it."

"It wasn't a squid, it was a demon puppet..."

Miroku stood up in his seat,"What?"

"It had Naraku's scent all over it, so I'm questioning whether or not he is alive..."

Miroku sighed,"Of course he's alive, I told you that day, he had a shikon shard in his shoulder, probably more than one."

"Is that why he attacked me, just to get the ship?"

Miroku shook his head,"I doubt it, he probably just wanted the location of the map. He's probably trying to steal it again..."

Inuyasha growled, knowing that Naraku was definately cunning,"He's not after the map, not yet at least..."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I think he wants us to know he is alive, for some strange reason. But I know for a fact, he's out to get the treasure, he's probably using us to find the location..."

"Indeed, that is a probable possiblility..."

The two men sighed, knowing that Naraku was better ally than enemy...

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Well, now we have a predicament, don't we. SCHOOL IS TOMORROW!

Gah, I have no idea what to wear, I just got a bunch of hand me downs from a neighbor(she's short and curvy like me so most of the stuff fits, yay!) and I went shopping at Kohl's and Delia's! So many shoes, but I love shoes! Gah, I should wear that black mini with my leggings and my ballarina flats, and my white blouse...

Or my new skirt with my orange sandals, and a white blouse.

Or jeans and my black Daria t-shirt, with my Doc Martens...

Grr I am such a comfusing person to choose wardrobe for!

And I have to get up a 5 in the morning tomorrow, yay school bus! Omg...I am so dead...

But I have this story to channel out my negative energy, and over zealous positive energy. Plus don't forget, I'm all abotu the fluff!

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Yay, new chapter! Love it


	5. Feelings?

chp 5

She was asleep now, in an extra room his father had built on the ship, before his mother died. It was her special room, a quiet place for her to rest while pregnant with him. He couldn't help but watch, not caring if this was considered inappropriate for the captain to watch a sleeping girl. She looked so peaceful, so perfectly content. It made him feel a certain amount of responisiblity. He felt he wanted her to be like this always, happy and peaceful.

It might sound odd, that he would want to protect someone who was practically a stranger to him, but in fact they were hardly strangers anymore. It seems, you can learn alot about people in just two days; especially if you have gone through as much as they had. Some people say there is a thing as love at first sight, which is totally ridiculous. You might have a special feeling about a person, or be immediately attracted, but no one can just look at a person and fall in love. Yea yea, Romeo and Juliet, I know, but that was the most ridiculous love story ever. He had read it, he knew that it wasn't a true tale of love.

A true tale of love was much more that something that takes place over a week, much more than two teenage lovers who die to be together. Sure it might have been an intersting concept, but it never should have been dubbed a classic. Love was hardly a first sight thing, love was gained through conversation and trust. Trust was the base of love, and if you can't trust someone how can you truely love them. Love was more than the fuzzy feeling you get in your gut, or the choking in your voice everytime you see them. It was the feeling you got when you were alone, holding each other, just watchign the night sky pass by, perfectly content with being together.

It might sound plain, but if you don't know what I'm talking about, then you don't truely know what its like to be in love. And you cannot describe love, just narrate it as it takes place..

It might seem stupid, that here he was talking about love;And in fact it probably was stupid. He hardly knew her...

Yet he knew that last statement was NOT true. He did know her, and she was something more than many could ever hope to be. She was fiery, with a personality, and spirit. That was more than most girls had, but she also was smart. And she cared, she really did. She had the guts to follow him up to his room, to make sure he was ok. Thinking back on it, he kinda felt like choking up, 'cause before that...no one really gave a damn about how he felt...

He really needed to stop over thinking things, why was she so intesting to think about. Why did he even care that she had the heart to care.

_You know exactly why, its because.._

He cringed, memories he prayed long forgotten aroused in his thoughts. All those times he thought it would be ok, all those times he thought he had found refuge...

All were lies...

He turned away, silently closing the door to the room. He had to go watch on the upper deck, he didn't have time to think about that.

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Kagome felt herself being thrown back from the fuzziness of her dreams, to the clear reality. She knew she was waking up, and didn't want to leave the dream she had just had. What was it about again?

She rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. She listened to the soft lull of the ship..

_Thats right, I'm on Inuyasha's ship..._

She lazily opened her eyes, letting herself adjust to the harsh light in the room. She waited a few moments, and started to stretch her back. She looked around, knowing that she would regret leaving her warm haven. She forced herself to get up from the warm comfort of her bed, and trudged over to the vanity. She looked like a mess, eyes all baggy and hair unkept. She walked to the bathroom, and found a large bowl of fresh water. She looked around for a bar of soap and a rag, and closed the door.

She listened for a second, and started to strip down to her bra and underwear, knowing she must be filty from all the blood. She looked at her wrapped up arms, sighing at the odd feeling of the cloth wrapped around her arm. She dipped the rag into the water, and soaped it up. She dipped it in again and started to wash her face, letting the water drip down through her bra. after that was done, she removed the rest of her clothing, and put up her hair with a ribbon she had.

She started to enjoy the cool feeling of the water, and very much enjoyed the feeling of clean skin. But now she couldn't get the suds off...

She soon found a solution. She noticed a second bowl, a smaller one. She put the water she had left in the smaller bowl, and stepped into the larger one. She poured the water down her body, letting it wash away the soap. When she had finished with that, she stepped out of the other bowl filled with somewhat soapy water, and stepped into the small bowl again. She repeated this until she had deemed herself not soapy.

She couldn't figure out what to do about her hair, there wasn't enough to wash it out, nor was it clean any longer. She sighed, seeing that she no longer had the luxoury of clean hair. She found a towel, dried off, and replaced her soiled dress back on. She sighed, this being completely unsanitary. She walked out of the bathroom, to find a new dress laid over a chair. She smiled, thinking about how thoughtful that was of Inuyasha...

It was truely beautiful, a vanilla coloring with pink ribbons tied around the exteriors. The dress was lined with lace at the sleeves, and had a beautiful tiny bow tied at the chest of the dress. She smiled, slipping off her other dress, and getting into this new one. Incrediably, it fit perfectly...

_I wonder whose this is, probably his mother's but I should ask._

She slipped on her shoes, and tried to do something with her hair. She decided to braid it all the way down her back, a simple style, yet effective at not whipping around her face. She looked herself over in the mirror, and smiled.

"Good as it'll get.."

She walked out of her room, following the hallway towards Inuyasha's room. She doubted he was there, but tried anyways. She knocked on the door, listening for any kind of sound. When none came, she slowly opened the door, looking around the palace of a room. It was a little messy, but only to be expected from a man. She looked around, almost expecting him to jump out of a corner.

But instead she heard a voice...

It was surprsingly beautiful, coming from Inuyasha. He was singing something, like a lullaby. His voice deep and rich, with a soft gruffness in the back of his throat. It was a man's voice, there was no doubt about it. But...she couldn't help but feel a little moved by it. The song seemed to be about falling from a mountain, only to be caught by a lover. It was very soothing, and strangely beautiful...

She followed the voice, that lead her to the bathroom. She knocked on the door,"Inuyasha?"

"Come in, I'm decent..."

She opened the door to find that he was not decent, in fact...he was much much better than decent. He had his shirt off, his muscled back surprisingly well tanned. His broad shoulders would shame any man, and his arms were stronger than she expected. He turned around, revealing his exceptional chest to her. She feared she would faint, the feelings coming over her were so strong.

"I see you found the dress, does it fit?"

But the dress what the last thing on her fizzled down mind, all she could reply was,"...yea..."

She shook her head a little bit, trying to clear her head. He looked at her,"Is something the matter..."

"No, I'm...perfect..."

She smiled, a last attempt to convince him. It seemed to have the desired effect, and he asked to be let out of the cramped room. She let him pass, feeling his arm rub against her breast on accident. She gasped silently, her private intimate moment more than she could bear.

"Hey Kagome, I forgot to ask, did you need more water this morning? I set a bowl up, but I forgot about your hair, usually I'm the only one who needs extra water."

She looked at him,"Well I should be...ok for today, but tomorrow it would be nice,"she said in a choked voice.

He nodded,"Alright, I'll make sure to bring some more from the storage."

She smiled, grateful for the hope of clean hair. She watching him put his shirt on, and felt relief that he was covered. She finally let out the breath she had been holding, but the image was still fresh in her mind. She let out an exasperated sigh, and tried to keep her cool.

"Well, what do you want to do today?" He said matter of factly.

"I'm sure the captain of a ship but have many responsibilities, you don't need to bother entertaining me."

"Today Miroku is gonna captain the ship, he does every tuesday. He says its so I can have a break, but I think its cause he wants to chart us slightly towards the left..."

She looked at him,"Why the left? Whats to the left?"

"Sango..."

Kagome looked questionately up at him,"Who's Sango?"

"She's a shipbuilder on Lady Kagura's island, who's mother helped build this ship. They met once when we needed to repair the ship, and since then he vowed to gain her love."

"Then why was he trying to court me?"

"Its his nature, to be a lady's man. He means no harm, and would never take advantage of a woman. He says he likes to try to swoon women as practice for his true challenge of Sango."

"He seems well enough off, he sure swooned me."

"Yes, I'm sure, he's very good at what he does. But see Sango is...different from most women. Not only is she a ship builder, but she is a warrior for Lady Kagura. She helps to protect the island, and was brought up as a young boy would be. She views love as a luxoury, and she doesn't want luxoury in her life."

"So Miroku's trying to show her that love is a part of life?"

"No Miroku's trying to marry her..."

Kagome sweat dropped,"What..."

"Have you ever noticed his right hand, how its covered in the sealing beads and cloth."

She nodded,"Yes I did wonder about that."

"Well Miroku's hand is a hereditary trait, that burdens every first born son in his family. The reason he has those beads is because in his hand is a sort of black hole, called a Wind Tunnel. It sucks up anything in its path, and has enormous power. With each passing year the Wind Tunnel grows larger, and becomes more powerful."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"For most people, that would what it would seem to be. But someday, the Wind Tunnel will out grow Miroku's hand, and subsequently suck him up in it. Its a terrible fate that claimed his father and gradfather, and he is desperate to stop the curse."

"How did the curse come into their family?"

"His grandfather was a monk, and he was expelling demons from a shrine one day. It seemed a normal day at least, but it soon became much more. A beautiful courtisan revealed herself to be a demon, but not before placing that curse on him. She told him that the only way to break the curse was to destroy her. Unfortunately, she was a shape shifter, and Miroku hasn't found out her or his true name. So he is determined to at least bear a child to continue his family's fight.

"But why does he hae to have Sango, wouldn't any woman suffice?"

He smiled,"You would think a lecher like him would thikn like that, but he believes in love. He refuses to give his child to any woman, only one who he truely loved."

"Thats so romantic..." Her eyes glazed over in thought...

"Yea yea, romance shmomance. There is no such thing as love, its just what we percieve as love. We think love means being happy, and being romantic, and having someone beautiful always by your side. When you fall for a trap like that, well I won't be there to save yeh."

"How would you know?"

He looked at the ground,"Family knowledge..."

She got a feeling, call it inner knowledge or just obviousness, but it seemed to be much more than 'family knowledge'. The look in his golden eyes was heart wrenching, like the sad cry of a violin. It may seem an odd way to say it, but it really is the perfect example. If the violinist plays it just so, the violin gives a soul searing cry that makes you feel the immense suffering in such a sad simple way. That is how his eyes spoke to her, with the same intensity, with the same sadness.

She knew exactly what she was doing, when she wrapped her arms around him. No one could have been so oblivious to the fact he was suffering right now. So she gave him a taste of kindness, something everyone needed. She rested her face on his shoulder, hugging his shoulders,"I don't know what happened, but I know it never really goes away, does it."

He didn't want to understand how she knew, he only knew that her touch had been the most soothing thing he had felt since the accident,"No, it just seems to drill in your mind all the time, refusing to leave you in peace."

She nodded,"Was she pretty..."

"Very..."

"Did you love her?"

"Very much, too much..."

"She didn't love you back?"

He chuckled,"With her, I never could really tell. I think she thought she did, but I don't think she really figured out what love was til it was too late..."

She sighed,"I'm sorry..."

He hesitantly place a hand on hers, wrapping his fingers around her hand. He had never thought talking about it would really work, but for some reason it did. Somehow it made Kagome that much more important to him. She shared his intimate secret, shared his pain somehow. Somehow, though, the pain wasn't what connected them, it was something much more than that.

Something he didn't want to go away...

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Kagome felt the wind blow her face cold, and with the summer's warm night all around her, it gave her an interesting sensation. She was on the back deck of the ship, with just Inuyasha. Most of the crew had left for bed, only a few remained to keep watch over the night. She listened to Inuyasha talk about a journey to India, where the people wore turbans of silk and had rubies in their ears.

"Some people there have huge jewels lodged into their faces, they think its pretty, but it just looks like a big red mark on their face."

She smiled,"I would imagine..."

"The woman there wear long skirts of shimmering silk, like nothing you'll ever see. They do this thing called a belly dance, where they move their hips around, and shake their belly for all too see. Its great fun there, lots of interesting trade."

"Sounds like it must be a wonderful place..."

"It really is, its filled with icy mountains, and steamy jungles, and sandy deserts, and even beaches..."

"I'd love to go there someday..."

He looked over at her,"Maybe one day after we find this treasure, we can go there?"

She smiled,"Maybe, if you promise to show me everything..." She leaned on his shoulder, enjoying their closness.

"I'd love to..."

She giggled,"You know, for a while I thought you were mean and boring. I'm happy to say I'm glad I was wrong."

"I thought you were a perfect princess lady, and was too stuck up to have any fun. Well, you're not that stuck up..."

She playfully hit him in the arm, and watched as he smiled and laughed,"You know I'm just messing with you."

She smiled and nudged him gently,"Don't give yourself that much credit..."

She leaned over the railing, watching the starlight reflect off the waters. It made her feel so small in comparison to everything else. Her hair floated gently on the wind, as she stared onto the dark waters of the ocean night. She felt Inuyasha lean next to her, and look at the water as well.

"I remember, as a kid growing up on his old man's ship, that I always wanted to find a message in a bottle. I don't know why, but it just seemed to me to be something wildly fascinating. Its like, its got its own story, its own sights to see...I don't know what I'm trying to get at..."

She giggled,"I know exactly what you mean, I thougth the same thing. Except I actually threw a message over board a ship, and watched it go away on its own journey. But I was like 15 when I did..."

"How old are you now?"

"19.. you?"

"I'll be 21 in a few months..."

"Wow, must be everyboy's dream to be a young handsome pirate captain with his own ship..."

"I dunno, there's alot most people don't even think about. Like repairs, and account books, and other things that you wouldn't expect a pirate to care about. But thats what I have Miroku for, isn't it?"

She smiled, a gorgeous smile. More beautiful without any make up than most girls did with. She was naturally beautiful, but in a way that wasn't common day beauty. She was timeless, with amazing brown eyes, and soft straight hair. Her soft pink lips were full, and looked like they'd be perfect to kiss. She looked like someone born to know how to kiss, as if her first one was perfect, at least for the guy she kissed.

He leaned forward unintentionally, yet his intentions were well on the forefront of his mind. Was it so bad to want a smart, beautiful girl like her? She was so dear to him, even in the little time they had been together...

But how could he taint such a beautiful creature with his tainted intentions. How could a hanyou as himself, ever earn the love of someone like her? He couldn't, because she deserved someone so much more than he was...

But she began to lean in also, her eyes searching his, looking for the right signs...

Her eyes seemed to see something, and she began to let her think lashes cover her brown eyes, and she began to pucker her lips slightly. He didn't know what to do, because as much as he knew she deserved better...

He wanted her for himself...

That was the plain and simple truth, it would be stupid to deny it. She was so perfect, but not perfect for every man. Just him, only him he prayed silently. What was he getting himself into? What did...

"Captain, there's a need for your specialty down in the crew's room. Someone started a fight and its getting way out of hand."

How cruel life was to him...

"I'll be right there, don't wait up for me..."

The shipmate nodded and went back to breaking up the fight. Inuyasha turned to Kagome,"Well, um..duty calls..."

He ran off to the other side of the ship, leaving Kagome alone to ponder her thoughts...

_He almosted...no you almost kissed HIM! Him of all people..._

Him of all people...

That echoed in her head, leaving her unsatisfied with the wording. Not him of all people, just...

God she really liked him, there was no getting around that. No way to possibly deny the obvious fact that they had almost kissed him right now. But did she really want to deny it? Was it so bad to feel this way about him?

She really didn't think that it was, in fact it felt...right...

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What am I to say, they have a crush on each other? Thats soooooooo sweet, isn't it? I personally liked writing this chapter, and I had alot of help from various songs like Evanescence-Hello, and Sarah McLachlan - The World Is On Fire, and of course Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack. What can I say, those songs are brilliant...

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Well I've got to get to bed, nighty night!

Toodles!

...review...


	6. Kikyo

chp 6

It was crazy, for her to believe that she could stay on this ship without other clothes. She had only three dresses, all of which were impractical for life on a ship. Today they would make port for supplies, and she was promised a few more...suiting outifts for a sailors life. She sighed, watching the men begin to pull up into a pirate's port.

"Why are you moping?"

She turned slowly, to catch a glance at Inuyasha,"I'm not, I'm just thinking."

He walked next to her, and leaned over the side of the ship, looking at the ocean speeding past them. The ocean gleamed like a thousand diamonds, the waves crashing against the hull of the ship. She walked over to him, looking down at the bejeweled ocean, watching the island of Kiken come into view. She sighed, knowing it wouldn't be long before they arrived. She glanced over at Inuyasha, his hair floating in the wind. He probably didn't know how graceful he looked, just standing there with silver locks riding an invisible breeze, how exotic and beautiful he really was.

She wasn't afraid to say it, he was beautiful. A blind woman with her hands cut off could see it, let alone a girl who had perfectly good eyes and still had hands. She didn't exactly want to gawk, but she did want a more detailed look at him. She scanned him quickly, trying to keep the image in her head as long as possible. He was like something out of her dreams, or something equally as incredible.

"Kagome, look there."

He pointed out to the ocean, showing her some of its wonders. An orca pod had just resurfaced near the ship, their black and white bodies almost like tuxedos. Sleek and wet, their bodies rose and fell in a well choreographied dance. Usually she wouldn't be this entranced in something like this, but the black and white agaisnt the ocean blue... that was truely a breathtaking experience.

He pointed out towards the pods,"Look at the baby..."

Sure enough there was a tiny baby swimming along side its mother. From far away he looked like a charm on a bracelet. His small little head was almost as adorable as him tiny dorsal fin. She smiled,"He's so darling!"

She laughed out loud, smiling wider than she ever thought she could. She looked over at Inuyasha, watching his own face part with his normal frown, and grow a smile. The spray of the ocean misted up from the orca's blow holes, sending a shower of water up into the air.

She didn't want them to leave, but as soon as the last spray soared into the blue sky, she knew that they were descending into the deep water beneath them. She sighed, the thought almost crossed her mind to wave good-bye to the whales. She felt Inuyasha's hand push into her, as he readjusted in a different position. She blushed, as his hand creeped over hers, clasping it in his own. Her stomach lurched, and her eyes popped open in surprise. But she dared not make a sound, for she secretly wish for something like this to happen between them.

She turned her gaze over to his face, which was still staring at the ocean. He seemed deep in thought, and his head bowed downwards. Her blushing red face continued to grow hotter with each passing minute his hand rested on hers. Then he began rubbing his thumb across her hand, and she felt a whole new level of red creep into her cheeks.

"Kagome, last night...what almost happened..." he trailed off, as if he was trying to find the right words,"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for anything to happen. I wasn't being careful, and its so important that I am careful."

She somehow managed to find the courage to say,"Why?"

He turned to look at her,"I can harm you, so easily. Humans are essentially weak, not perhaps in spirit, but their body is like glass compared to a demons. I could reach out, and crush you right this second, kill you in an instant. Most demons want pain, so they always hold themselves back, and try to let humans pretend they have a chance. In reality, even demon slayers are not exactly a true match against a demon. Well, maybe a few, but its very very rare..."

"So I'm in danger to be with you..."

"Essentially, but like right now, just talking, you're ok. But...I can't trust myself with someone really..."

Kagome looked down sheepishly,"Your friend, what happened to her?"

He bit is lip, and retracted his hand, crossing his arms and resting them on the railing,"I'm half human and half demon, I'm not as strong as every demon. I have my demon side, and my human side. Right now, is my human side, which is controled and more human than demon. But I also have a side I can't control, my demon side..."

He slid his sword from his waist, the one he had used to slay the squid that attacked the ship,"This sword, has a magical barrier that is supposed to keep my demon blood from overtaking me. But once, just once...the seal didn't work. I was with a dear friend of mine, whom I loved very much. We were in a sort of romantic relationship, but not one that really meant anything. Pain was our common ground, and somehow I began to realize that she would be the only person I could ever love, and be loved back. So I decided that even if I didn't believe she was my true love, I had to be hers. But one night..."

He trailed off, trying to take in a deep breath,"One night I started to feel urges for her, in a way I shouldn't have. My body craved her, and I started to lose myself to my demon blood. So I began to wear Tetsusaiga with me at all times. But one night, we began to get...intimate...and I completely lost control of myself. I even made myself wear Tetsusaiga during the, uh...process. But as she started to reach her..climax...I couldn't handle the emotions any longer..."

He bowed his head,"I completely lost myself..."

"I killed her, and I know I wasn't quick about it. I tortured her, I took her for every ounce she was worth. Without a doubt I raped her, then slaughtered her. But I don't remember, for this side of my mind is completely different from the other. When i am a demon...I am truely a monster..."

He continued to bow his head, not making a sound after the last sentence. Kagome was wide eyed, but not with fear. She felt such pitty for him, knowing he did not intend for this to ever happen,"Inuyasha..."

"Don't look at me like that Kagome."

Her heart felt broken in two, one part afriad he would strike at her if she dared, the other completely wanting to comfort him...

"Inuyasha, I'm so sorry..."

For the strangest reason, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. But not a wonderful, happy kiss, a tearfilled sad kiss. She wanted to be able to cry for him, or to wipe away his own tears. She wanted to tell him she trusted him, and that she wouldn't break...

But who was she to judge his strength. He had always been so tender with her, so gentle. She never had seen him fight, or raise his voice, or get gruff. Well she had, but not in a way that was true anger. She reached out to him, wrapping her arms around his waist,"I'm here for you, I promise I won't ever leave you..."

She felt hesitant arms wrap around her lightly, she felt him pull her a little closer. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, trying to tell him she really wouldn't abandon him. He dared to let his head rest on the top of hers, daring to test himself...

He didn't fail...

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Kagome and Inuyasha were out shopping for some more suitable clothes for her, while Miroku took a few men out to buy some supplies. Kagome loved to be able to feel ground again, a luxoury she probably shouldn't miss. She walked into a store, with a few mens and women's clothes in the window. At once her eyes spotted a creamy loose shirt, with a leather corset. She immediately walked over, and eyed it. It had a fine color to it, and the leather smelled rich and good. The shirt itself was almost delicate, yet seemed to be able to withstand well on its own.

She turned around,"Isn't it beautiful?"

Inuyasha snorted,"You want that?"

She shook her head frantically,"Oh no, its far too much. But I can admire it, can't I?"

He shrugged, eyeing it as she turned around. She went on to other things in the shop, and bought a pair of boots, and a nightgown. She was so embarassed at Inuyasha having to pay for her, that she promised to earn what she had bought.

"How in hell are you gonna earn anything?"

"Well, I can cook..."

He stopped,"You can?"

She looked around, confused,"Well...yes..."

"Alright then, you make me dinner, and if I'm satisfied you earned your clothes."

"Please, thats far to little..."

He places a finger on her lips,"I haven't had anything decent to eat in a long while. Plus if you do impress me, you will be the cook of the ship."

"T..The cook?"

"Yup, see eveyrthing works out!"

She sighed, knowing what he said was true. But a cook's life was a bit less glamorous than she had hoped for. She sighed and nodded,"Ok, sounds fair."

He smiled, not daring to tell her how desperately the crew needed a good cook. The meal he had eaten at her manision was the first meal he had that wasn't made of pickles, oranges, and boiled eggs.

"Well what do we have here?"

Inuyasha immediately turned to the voice, eyeing a young man with a hungry look in his black eyes. He scanned Kagome, up and down, and an unessecary up again. Inuyasha wanted to growl, but he knew it would be better for him to not begin a fight here.

"What a lovely lady, and with such a dirty hanyou. Is he your slave, m'lady?"

She glared,"No, he is.."

"HEY! I ain't nobody's slave! You polished up piece of shit, who's gutter did you crawl out from?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said shocked.

" 'feh' Don't be fooled Kagome, this is no ordinary lecher."

He pulled out his sword, the blade growing to a larger size than anyone expected.

"So you dare to fight me hanyou? I accept!"

His arm swung around, revealing two praying mantis claws that ripped out his back. His smile was now equiped with four fangs, two that cut down his jaw, and two that cut up. His blood red lips were coated with a black sludge that greatly resembled acid. His black eyes only shrank in comparison to his body, though. His long red tongue licked his bloody lips, making it look like his mouth had been coated in a live animals bloody copse only moments ago.

"Kagome, get behind me, now."

She did as told, and retracted her body behind his solid form. He whipped the Tetsusaiga around, setting it between him and the demon,"I won't let you get away with this!"

"Hah, what have I done to you boy?"

"Don't try to get past me, you smell of dead human flesh, it makes me wretch!"

"What a good little nose he has, what an advantage that must be,"He giggled as if he had just said a clever joke.

He growled this time, letting the rumbling mass stick in his throat. He waited for that demon to make his first move before he did anything. His golden eyes followed his with each move the demon made. Inuyasha could tell by his scent he was only a second rate demon, but with all these people around, and Kagome, this might be more of a challenge...

"HIA!"

The demon opened its hand, to reveal 6 inch long talons. But Inuyasha easily blocked the attack with his Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha backfired and slashed his hand across the demons face. But the demon was hoping for this, and opened his mouth, letting the saliva seep into his hand.

"AGHHH!"

He screamed, the acid burning through his very flesh and muscle. He flung his hand around, whipping the acid off. WHile Inuyasha was preoccupied with that, the demon spat towards Kagome. Inuyasha pulled her down, and got her out of the way just in time.

He flung his sword out, trying to at least nick the demon. Luckily the sword went much deeper than that, and ended up slashing him in the underbelly. He roared in pain, and Inuyash atook the opportunity to get Kagome out of the arena. He pushed her and sort of rolled her away form him,"Run, get out of here!"

She nodded, and began to run away from the battle. But something sharp and scaley wrapped around her waist, and pulled her back towards the very place she didn't want to be.

"I see she's more than just a companion..."

Inuyasha growled a menacing horrid snarl, and lashed out at the tail that wrapped around Kagome. But as soon as he got close he began to squeeze the living daylights out of Kagome. She gasped, and he could hear the grinding together of her innards. If he cut him, he would squeeze Kagome in two...

All his ears could make out were the sounds of her gasping voice, dying for air.

"Kagome, please protect yourself! You did it before, you have to do it now!"

She didn't quite know what he was talking about, til she thought about the squid. Something inside her had escaped, and burned away that demon. She didn't quite know what to do though, she couldn't exactly move her arms, and she didn't really have enough air to think anymore...

She couldn't breath, her lungs were being squished so tightly...

Tears fell down her cheeks, for she feared death was about to be upon her. The pain was excruciating, but she feared it wouldn't last long enough...

She began to see something of a blue green wrapping around her. She realized it must be death, and knew it would only be moments before she was gone...

But instead she felt the demon's iron death grip on her loosen, til she was dropped to the ground, gasping in all the air she could. She heard Inuyasha shout something before she completely passed out.

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Its quite an experience, to wake up from death. Or at least what you thougth was death, which in fact was not. But she was shocked to hear his voice again, truely shocked. She started to be able to feel herself again, and immediately fluttered open her eyelids. To her relief, she was not dead, for she saw two golden orbs shining against a soft orange light.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

She began to have feeling in her hands once more, and she immediately tried to clasp anything nearby. The first thing she felt was his shirt, and she began to clutch onto it like a child.

"Are you ok, please say something..."

"Ow..." was all she could get out. Her head was the next thing she felt, and it wasn't exactly a pleasent feeling to have it there. She reached up, to make sure that her head was still there, even though she knew it would be.

"I'm glad you're alright, I got him, don't wory..."

She took a minute to collect herself,"I thought you didn't...kill people..."

"I killed a demon, there's a difference."

She didn't have the mind to argue over that right now. She felt her body go limp against his chest, and her head rest against his shoulder. Usually she would have been embarrassed with herself for being so close to him, but right now she was so out of it she didn't even care.

Plus he smelled so nice, and he was so warm...

She felt so good sitting in his lap. His arms wrapped around her, yet she felt something cool on her head. Something ran down her throat, it felt like a raindrop...

"Kagome, I was so afraid you were dead... for a while there..."

"Me too..."

She was so out of it, luckily, and couldn't hear the hidden emotion in his voice. He truely was seeped with fear, seeped with an emotion he had never really felt before. It was as if a black ice was crawling down his heart, sucking out all the hope and meaning it had in it. In that moment, when her eyes began to close, and she stopped gasping...

It was as if life had come to a sudden hault. He couldn't bear the sudden sickness that took hold of his mind, body, and soul. He couldn't accept that fact though, for if he did it meant he had feelings for her as much more than a dear friend. And although he would like to pursue that, he couldn't dare risk that. Not her, not ever, even if he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't bear the thought of him harming her, and he would take every precaution to prevent it.

She wasn't his to love, his to care about, his to even fathom about something like this. He smoothed over her bangs, his eyes scanning over her flawless face. She was perfect, in every aspect he could conjure up. But his favorite part about her was her personality, how she was so many levels of everything. She was so complicated, yet it seemed so simple to understand, although he had no way of finding a 'simple' solution to how to get along with her quite yet.

He sighed, wishing he could view her as a friend, and not like someting more. He would give anything to not have these feelings for her, anything. But yet one glance at her face made him thing the feeling was worth it, like jsut beign able to look at her face was satisfaction enough.

But of course, he was a man, and one thought lead to another..

Well you probably see the problem with that.

But he forever forced himself to stay away from her, because no matter how controled he was, he was a monster on the inside... and not even he could protect her from himself.

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Well now thats done, whew, so much homework and band! I regret thinking Sophmore year would be fun...

But I got a 98 on my first essay, yes that I am proud of, cause I'm good like that! Now I'm exhausted, so lets get on with the reviews...

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	7. Unforgotten Feelings Past and Present

a/n Ok I must write to get frustration out, so you can skip this if you want, but I MUST PUT THIS IN HERE!

OK first, I've been swamped with homework and marching band, and catching up on sleep. I have had NO time to write at all. Then I get extremely sick, and am bed ridden for two days, and when I mean bed ridden, I mean I couldn't get out of bed to do anything except eat or get something that fell off my bed. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't breathe, and so last night i slept like 15 or 16 hours since I had a bath and that apparently clears up nostrils. I have watched the Notebook, Memoirs of a Geisha, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Water Boy, The Truman Show and played Pokemon(yes I rediscovered a lost game last week and I used to play all the time, and its my way of being a kid, don't hate me cause it entertains me and I kick ass at it), so yea, oh and I left my book Clan of the Cave Bear at school somewhere and that pissed me off that I couldn't read it at all when I was sick. I missed a world history test and a latin test, both of which I need to study for. My boyfriend hasn't called me in like forever, cause he's working. I got him his present, which is so perfect for him. Ok he's blonde, but like not at all liek a blonde. He's like 6 ft, like huge and burly cause he works out all the time (195, and he's not fat at ALL) he likes heavy metal, and black metal. I think his favorite band right now is NIN, but I'm not sure cause it changes all the time. Anyway he's got gorgeous shoulders, and I don't know if you are like me, but I LOVE shoulders. He's got those big, wonderful, lay your head on them shoulders that make me go ga ga. And his eyes, OMG his eyes, sea green eyes! SEA GREEN! They are so freaking beautiful, you will never find more beautiful eyes, period. His favorite colors are blue and black, and what was I talking about...

OH yes, his present. Anyway I got him a watch, but not just any kind of watch, a watch made just for him. Ok I was so desperate to find somethign for him, I almost got him a sheep skin rug...I know how GAY. Anyway this watch had brown on the outside, and black inside, but the black is almost burned on the brown so it looks kind of tye dyed. And its got a nice round face, but the thing that made it perfect was that there is a skull that forms on the face like with dots. OMG its so perfect for him, I can't even begin to describe how perfect it is.

OK, now I am done..

chp 7

How hard it was to describe perfection, and yet when the word came into this mind only one though surfaced from the word.

Her...

Yes, Sango popped into his mind at the word perfection. No other woman came close to her, at least not to him. Her long ebony hair was as glossy and smooth as silk stolen from a Japanese Shogun. Her skin wasn't as cream white as most girls, but yet her tanned skin only made her more beautiful. Her eyes were a almost purple brown. A mauve color outlined her eyes, with a deep golden brown around her irises. They sent shock waves through his body, with just a glance from those stunning eyes. How her hearty body made him ache for a second glance at her.

Her waist was in an hour glass form, not exactly the style, but in his opinion the most beauitful look of a woman. She had a small torso, at least in comparison to most women of this day and age, but her legs were so long and trimmed that her tiny waist ony made her legs seem longer and made her, in essence, more attractive. She was a traditional woman though, and prefered to wear things that did not make her look as beautiful as she truely was. Although this did disappoint him in a way, it also made her more intriguing.

Her life was spent doing two things, fighting demons that plagued Lady Kagura, and building ships. She was a demon slayer in an army built to protect Lady Kagura. Although Lady Kagura was liked by some, she did make enemies who sought her valuable treasures. Sango's life was saved by Lady Kagura, and so in return Sango vowed to protect Lady Kagura's. When Sango's mother died from her little brother's birth, Sango grew very ill from a fungus that came from her mother's body. Lady Kagura was the one that figured out what made her sick, and cured her. So Sango was endebted to her until she could save Lady Kagura's life as well. So, as well as shipbuilding, she was trained as a demon slayer. Her life's misson was to protect the Isle of Knowledge, and protect her mistress that had saved her more than once.

The word mistress would probably strike most to be Lady Kagura, but in fact Lady Kagura was Sango's Lady, not her Mistress. To Sango, those were affectionate terms used ot describe the peopel she cared for. No her mistress was the elderly medicine woman, named Kaede. Kaede had lived on the island longer than Sango had been alive, nearly 50 years. Kaede was Sango's foster mother, so to speak, and raised Sango as her own flesh and blood for years. They still lived together, Kaede now at the fragile age of nearly 70, had taken to more mild chores like tending the sick, and teachign the youngsters skills needed to become a ship builder. Although she was almost 70, she was not what you would cale and elderly woman. Yes she was old, and her body was worm down from the years of use, but Kaede was not out of work. She still builds ships ot this day, her wheathered hands making careful adjustments everyday.

But Sango was not as tenderly caring abotu ehr work as Kaede, she was ore head strong about it. She preferred hammers to screwdrivers, pounding things in rather than something with less effort. She enjoyed sweating and working herself to her seemingly boundless limits. Of course, as well as doing her own work, she also had a part in teaching her little brother Kohaku. Kohaku had his sister's eyes, the mauve coloring on the outsides, with the rich brown in the middle. His face was dotted with a line of freckles across his nose, his face marked with childish innocence. He was timid, and very quiet, but had a very fericious side to himself. It was odd, that this seemingly innocent boy was a fierce battler, but it was true. Kohaku was merely 5 years younger than Sango, and already was using a weapon against her in practice. He was very skilled, more so than her maybe.

Although, if you've really seen Sango let loose in battle, you might take that back...

So now Miroku daydreamed about his beloved, remembering all the things about her that made her so inviting to the senses. She was prideful, not filled with herself, but filled with her abilities. Althought she had right to be, she wasn't afriad to laugh in your face and tell you up front you will lose. It wasn't boasting, but she had extreme confidence in her abilities, which of coruse she had extreme right in doing. Even he couldn't beat her, and that was something to brag about. She was his first loss in 7 years...

He tendering touched the scar on his arm, it was only an inch or so long, not even a pinkies width wide, but it mean much more to him than just and old scar. She gave it to him in that one battle, accidentally or on purpose, he wasn't quite sure, but it was there none the less. But he wanted it there, it was like having a piece of Sango carved into his body. Which of course he cherished at the thought of, but the scar was almost a link between them. He guess most would think it silly, but he was in love with her from the moment she scarred him, for he knew at that moment she wasn't just another girl, she was the woman for him. He sighed, and ran his finger's through his hair. How depressing things were without her here. How boring life was without her arrogance to get in the way of his pride.

He turned his attention to the other couple in the back of his mind, Kagome and the Captain. In private Inuyasha had been very serious about his feelings for her, vowing not to let himself fall for her. Although Miroku know he already had, which was both good and bad. Perhaps Kagome would be the one to break the curse that plagued him for years. Perhaps she could shatter the curse laid down on him by Kikyo herself.

He doubted Inuyasha even knew, and Miroku only found out after her death. But Kikyo was being controlled for a long time, and eventually the priestess was under complete control of whom ever it was that curse her. Her name he knew not, but he did know it was a woman. She had great beauty, but her human soul was tainted with demonic power and greed. He tried, he really did, but somehow she fled without a trace off the ship.

It was the only thing he ever truely regretted, that he couldn't catch her. She ultimately caused Kikyo to allow Inuyasha to kill her. As odd as that may sound, it was true. He didn't know how she got past Tetsusaiga's barrier, but somehow she nullified it and woke up his inner demon. Miroku knew he would eventually have to explain things to him, but until this Naraku thing blew over, it could wait...

He hoped...

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It was painful to hear the sound of flesh being beaten against the iron bars, starving for something living to feast their eyes upon. And even more to their pittiful woes was the voice of a woman. Anyonw of them would have given their left eye to see such a beauty as she, but none dared answer the question to gain such a prize. Although beautiful, in every possible way, her face would twist you into something monsterous, or even turn you into a pile of dust. Her beauty was so outstanding, no mortal man could ever glance upon her face and speak of its beauty. In an instant, the curse would steal away their souls, their bodies, or anyhthing they had worth of the maiden's debt. Although she would rather be a hideous beast than a killing beauty, she had no choice in her say of whom would or could break her spell.

Her beauty was not worth this price, not if no man could cherish her beauty. When she bargained with that demon, she had no idea this was going to be the outcome. She growled, eyeing the servant girl who entered next. She hated this part as well, for every time a woman glanced upon her face, they would become a lovely maiden whom men would herd to. Her jealousy was more than just a feeling, it was a raw weapon. Malice, hatred, jealousy, had all three combined in herself, eating away at her once human soul. Yes she was beautiful, but no one would ever be able to worship her for it.

People are driven to do crazy things, escpecially when driven by such powerful evil auras. But her life's callign was to destroy all happiness, destroy all chance of a Happily Ever After. At first it had been peasent girls, then noble maidens, then even a few princesses. But eternal life and beauty did not let her enjoy this fun, soon she sought only one type of happiness...

True Love..

Simple enough, all the evil inside her could sence 'happy' and thus found a was to find the bond between true lovers. She had killed the famed Romeo and Juliet, in many cases that which were not as poular. She had slain the Rose and Jack of her time, both ironically start with r and j...hmm...

She didn't care, it didn't matter, it ended here. She could see a bond more powerful than she expected herself to be, a new challenge, and new order of hatred. She loved it, this messy goodness of so called evil. She worshiped the fact she could make others feel her pain. She loved the fact she didn't have to suffer as much now that she killed loves and destroyed happiness...

But this was indeed a special case to her, since in fact...

He **was **the one who got away...

She remembered the woman who loved him so dear, the one with the powers that suprassed even the demons who lurked inside her. She was a nuisance, one who needed to be delt with. Love was powerful, more powerful than any other living emotion, and she knew that well. But most people think that love prevails all, when in truth love is our most common downfall. Love kills more than it heals, it cuts more than it scabs over the wounds left on the heart. It can be manipulated and formed into what ever desired, may it be nuturing or hate filled. She knew how to make love be the thing that destroys a person, and that was the worst weapon of all, for its wounds never truely heal. No matter what anyone tells you, love will cut you with a wound so deep you will never heal properly.

She loved those facts, and when she found the priestess Kikyo had fallen in love with a hanyou who couldn't really love her...Life had just blossomed for the evil inside her. It was perfect, get the man to court her, and get her to fall deeper in love's trap. But of course, he wasn't in love with her, but a certain type of love did bloom. Of course this is exactly what she wanted, to have him love her, but not enough to let himself not fall in love again.

Of course things changed when Naraku came into the picture. With his cunnning intellect, witty personality, and his amazing strategic skills, he truely was a black gem that shinned in her eyes. Of course, their plans were done in almost pitch black, or in secret rooms wehre she had a veil draped over her face. But they concocted a plan so venomous, so dripped with their twisted blackness, that even the great Inuyasha couldn't survive..

Or so they thought...

But apparently, Kikyo's control was a slight number less than what was previously thought. Somehow she managed to regain her conscious mind, and refused to harm Inuyasha. So Inuyasha lived, and Kikyo died. It was tragic, yes, but not in the terrible way she desired. She wanted the gory bloody tremendous death of the two. She wanted him to die for a woman he didn't truely love, and die killing a woman who truely loved him. She wanted her to face ultimate suffering, betrayal, and an over exasperated death.

Her bad eye began to grow red, the scar glowing in a red evil aura. But she smiled, Naraku's plan echoing in her head.

"This will be much more than fun..."

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She stood tall over her new kill, the rusty stench of blood fresh in the air. Her metal blade coated with a vibrant red, dripping off in an almost rythmical movement. She didn't smile though, in fact she stood dead as a corpse frozen in place. Her botttom lips quivering, her heart pounding cold blood through her sweating body. She didn't mean to kill him, she truely didn't. He wasn't a good man, but he was a living man, not a demon. Her breath came out in a shattered sigh, shivering with her entire body. It was a mistake to kill him, this intruder. She only meant to wound him enough to stop him from attacking. But she miscalculated his distance, and one inch to the left of her designated point was a main artery.

Needless to say, she didn't hit the desired target.

She looked over at her little brother, watching him smile at her as if to say 'good job, you got him!'. But she didn't deserve a pat on the back, she killed a man, not a demon. It was an accident, completely. A single tear rolled down her cheek, just the one tear. It landed on the man's soiled clothing, washing away at the moist blood coating his white shirt...

She woke up with a fright, cold sweat washing over her. Her heart pounded, and her very existance seemed to haunt her. She was terribly frightened, the nightmares growing more intense with each passing night. Was it the countless years of slaying demons, finally catching up to her? Was it some inexplicable event that's after effects were being felt now? She didn't know, nothing could be said for sure. But she did know she was so afraid right now, she feared her life might end at any moment from sudden heart attack or shock.

She sat up, wiping the drenched bangs from her face. The greasy tendrels only got in her way, and made her more aware of the fear that grasped her in her nightmares. She stole a quick glance over at her brother, sleeping peacefully beside her. His freckle face sporting a lopsided smile in his deep sleep. She glanced over at the sundial, the moons shadow reflecting 2 am. She sighed, and with the steady step of a hunter, crept tacitly out of the room.

She grabbed a purple shawl form a coat rack near the outside door, and wrapped up. It would be chilly, if not very cold. Her fear was slowly subsiding as the chilly air engulfed her, her mind more set on the chill creeping through her. She hugged her arms, blowing clouds into the air like a child. Soon, all fear was forgotten, and she looked up at the stars. The sparkling dots stuck up in the sky, giving her the dimmest light on the darkest night. It was a true comfort to have them there, in the midnight black...

Those two words brought up another image, of a man's midnight black hair. Her heart grew soft at the mention of him, the azure eyed Miroku. Those two orbs glowing with crystal blue were so easy to remember. He was her equal, if not better. Her heart thumped against her chest, and she leaned against the hut. She closed her eyes, remembering his beautiful blue eyes. Her heart became stuck in her throat, supressing the feeling she hadn't had in so long. He made it so hard to be herself, strong, stubborn, and uninteresting. He evoked such feelings inside her that she feared she might succome to his charm, his handsomeness, his skills...

God, why did she choose now of all times to regain these feelings. Why did she even let her thoughts linger on him. She could never love, she just couldn't. Her heart was shattered too easily, already cracked in the middle. After mother died, she didn't want to care for anyone again. Her brother was her only exception, the only one...

And she would let none further pass.

Her soul hardened, remembering the pain and the angst she felt. Her whole world was lost in a single moment. Her loving, wonderful, intellegent, amazing mother was gone. Her father she had never met, leaving Kaede to raise the children as her own. She hated her mother for leaving her, hated her father for never coming back for them. She didn't want this overgrowth of intimate feelings leeching in her heart.

Yet no mater how much she begged, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't get it to stop growing inside her.

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Kagome reached out, grasping the air in front of her. Trying to grab a dolphin far out at sea, knowing it was childish to try and catch something logic told her wasn't there. She smiled, waiting for Inuyasha to come up form the lower deck. Their friendship grew each day, only deepening her desire at heart. But she knew she would never gain such a heavenly carved man as he. One night, they were so close, so near the moment of first kiss, that she thought she might faint from anticipation. Her life seemed to revolve around that moment for a time, yet she knew something woudl happen. It must be taken as a sign that they weren't meant to be together.

And she regretfully accepted that understanding.

She returned to the leaping dolphins, wishing she had the freedom they seemed to flourish in.

She sensed a pair of boots taping against the wooden deck, turning to see Inuyasha standing there, beautiful as always. The red bandana tied casually around his head was more fashionable than practical, sported on by Kagome's choice of outfit for the day. She smiled, the silver hoop casually hanging on his left ear. But what made her smile was the fact it was a dog ear, and it seemed like a pathetic attempt to make them menacing. His cream shirt had a small opening in the front, accompanied with casual loose black pants and his usual clunking boots.

"You look nice today," she said with a hint of sarcasim.

He scanned her, the simple dress they had bought for her fitting her in all the right places, showing off her hourglass figure. Her long black hair coaxed out of a braid by his nagging, hung lower than expected. Almost to her hips, although that was only the ends. But the blue dress with simple white lace around the edges was fitting for her. It went to around her midcalf, showing off her strong legs.

"You look like a milk maid," he replied with no hint of his inner interest.

She rolled her eyes,"You are so difficult..."

"What were you expecting, a lovable Tarzan? This is a pirateship, not a fairytale."

The though ran through both their minds that they wished it were. Then a happy ending woudl be secured...

"Pirates can be complimentary to their cooks..."

"Or not..."

She groaned, and turned back to the sparkling blue waves. She scanned the horizon, noticing a small jut of tan...

She pointed towards it,"Whats that?"

"The Island of Knowledge..."

She remembered Miroku, and immediately knew the cause of the delay.

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Yay, new chapter! Sorry for the long delay, but honestly I have had absoluetely no time to write, and so I do hope the story flows well, since I had to write it day by day...ok week by week...

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Black Juju

Shiruba Anrui

Thank you all soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for reviewing. And once more I apologize for the long update. So much to do, with band, and being a sophmore, and being a girlfriend with a boyfriend who acts like a 3 years old with cuss words. But I did start on the Earth Children series, I've read Clan of the Cavebear, and the Valley of the horses in about a week (about 1000 pages mind you). Its not that I read 24/7 I just read fast, and can comprehend quickly as well. So yea, its a good skill for reading books the night before a test (not that I do...tee hee...)

Please review, my wonderful people! Its the little purple button at the bottom, that says submit a review. Its a nice button, that makes me happy when you press it and type things into the box.

toodles


	8. Protection

chp 8( know what, here's a little tip for people. Don't put a chapter name in your chapter, cause you'll forget it. I make up a chapter name right before I post it, so I don't have to open up the word docment to check what it was. I did that on my first story, I leared after that...)

_He ran his fingers over her tan skin, smooth as silk. Her hot breath fogged his neck, the moisture mixing with the heat coming off both their bodies. Her breath came in heavy pants, his own came in pleasured groans. Her back arched, but he held her close as she cried out in climax. Her chest pressed agaisnt him tightly, as she dug her fingers in his skin, wanting...needing..._

He awoke, a firey burning in his loins. He tried to conjue up what the dream was, remembering the wonderful dream that sent the passion running through his body. He wasn't embarrassed about it, it had become a morning routine since she came on the ship, but it was still interesting to remember his fantasies. He groaned, and popped open the covers, headed straight for the bathroom.

Now a ship had toilets, remember that, but a toilet wasn't a porceline white bowl with a flusher. It was more along the lines of a funnel, connected to a main pipe that emptied out into a containment under the ship. When that became full, which was about 3 or 4 days, you simply emptied it out into the ocean.

Kagome thought that was quote,"Nasty!" unquote. But he explained it to her that the fish crapped in the ocean everyday, pissed in it too. So its ok to swim in fish turds, but not man turds? He didn't even begin to mention the excess sperm that was emptied into the ocean as well. And not from dirty minded men like Miroku either. Little known fact, whales can have over 400 gallons of excess sperm shot back out into the ocean, true fact too. He knew this well, but thought it inappropriate to mention to Kagome. He smiled now, remembering the conversation about (to put it bluntly) crapping in the sea.

He finished his buisness, and proceeded to washing his hair. As usual, he brushed out his hair, letting the silky strands fall into place. It was one of the rare occasions he had his hair like this actually. Most of the time it was so windblown it was just one big tangled thing. Right now he started at the ends, working his way up. Oddly enough his father taught him how to brush his hair, showing how to bring out its true beauty. After he finished he looked in the mirror, his exotic looks giving him a completely new outlook on himself. His golden eyes did glow a little on their own, and his silky hair did shine with a tone he couldn't quite describe. He had been called handsome before, many a times, but he never really took the time to assume that for himself. What he saw was in fact, a normal guy with some nice features. He didn't see much to him, other than his hair and his eyes...and those damn puppy ears.

He sighed, wishing he had something more meanacing, like horns or just regular ears. He blew through his lips, toying with the unintimidating triangles on his head. He gave up, knowing they would never be meanacing. He scanned himself over, eyeing the build up of muscles. He was definately better built than most men, which came from the years of work on the ship. Being part demon probably had something to do with it as well, seeing as how most demons had a buffed figure. But his was much leaner then theirs, theirs were buldging muscles like Mr. Olympia. His were still buff, but not in an overly dramatic way. He liked it, it suited his lifestyle.

_Knock, knock..._

"I'm decent..."

The door opened to reveal a stunningly beatuiful Kagome, dressed only in her bath towel...

He dropped his toothbrush, staring at her...

She was red as a tomato,"Um...you took my clothes yesterday for laundry..."

She glanced down at the floor, trying to not look at his stunned, red, face. Of course he wished she wasn't looking DOWN either. All the blood rushed ot one area, for the towel barely covered her. Her long legs seeping out of the towel, breasts pouring out. Her wet hair matted to her face, her brown eyes shining. Her rosy lips pressed together, her cheeks flushed with embarassment.

"..." Well what would you expect, of course he was speechless. It took all his concentration to not atttack her right there. You need to understand, the demon in his craved her like a fat boy craves triple chocolate cake. With him being caught off guard, you should understand his position form the earlier discussion...

"I..put them...on..."

She waited patiently for him, her eyes glued to his naked torso...

"On...the...table...next to the bed..."

"Oh, silly me...I didn't even think to look..."

Both couldn't stop staring, nothing didn't want to. She wanted to reach out, to see if he was real. To see if what he had on was real. He was breathtaking, and the very sight was making her breath draw in short gasps. Her bottom lip quivered, a reflex she forgot she had when she was in shock.

She darted quickly out of the room, practically slamming the door behind her. He watched it happen, thanking God for not torturing him further. He slid to the floor, not needing to look down at the buldge in his pants.

"Good God..."

She was so damn beautiful. God, those eyes were so gorgeous, and her skin seemed to glow. Her hair was sending little drops of water flowing down her chest, down into her clevage, sending thoughts streaming though his mind. Her breasts were so soft, but supported so well. He thought he might have embarrassed himself further if he didn't have a heavy wet towel on his...manhood...

Thank goodness it was a heavy towel...

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She slid against her door, her heart pounding. She knew it was stupid to go in there, she knew it, she knew it, she knew it! Why did she go and do a stupid thing like that! If only she had looked around she would have seen the neatly folded clotehs on her table. It made her so angry at herself, and embarrassed...

_He must think I'm so ugly..._

She looked at her legs, they were so long and unshapely. She had too thin thighs, and big strong calves. She liked that, but she knew most men probably hated it. They wanted delicate women, not strong women. She wasn't really strong either, God what was she talking about? She looked down at her wet hair, watching the droplets fall in an almost soothing effort to get her to stop freaking out. Her long legs were gangly, and unshapely. She looked at her chest, hung with unattractive large breasts. The fashion was small breasts, not large like her own. Her hair was usually straight, though it depended on how it dried. Her belly was flat, and her waist had a natural hourglass shape to it. Although she knew she probably grossed him out with all that. It just wasn't the in style, people wanted tall women with long torsos and small breasts...

Didn't matter now though, he wouldn't even fathom taking a second glance at her again...

She sighed, getting dressed in an effort to get her mind off this subject. She chose a green pair of pants, that tightened at ehr calf, showing off her ankle. She wore her usual flats, just a simple pair of shoes that allowed her to move easily. She grabbed a loose white top, and wore a tight vest over it. She scanned herself in the mirror..

_Not exactly model beauty, but its not that bad.._

She let her wet hair flow free, knowing it would dry from the upper decks wind. She couldn't help but smile, the ruch it gave her to climb the giant staircase to the first deck was exciting. She glanced up at the opening, watching the stormy day's gray light dull the usual glow at the top. She stepped out, the light drizzle cleaning the slight build up of sweat on her face. She watched the hefty men do their daily tasks, while the dainty woman went to do her kitchen work...

Oh BOY! ...

She sighed, opening the wooden door to her prison. The usual pots and pans were there, still dirty...still waiting to be cleaned...

It was a hopeless cause, it had to be done. No cooking today...just cleaning the groady pots and pans...

She started day dreaming, about home, about Inuyasha, about being a pirate...

She wished there was some interesting thing to think about it, that she desperately missed her family...she didn't. That Inuyasha was the perfect man, who'd she'd give anything to have...ok truth and no truth. He was perfect, but no thte perfect man...but that made him more perfect. And it was the whole truth to say she'd give anything to be with him. Being a pirate wasn't as glamorous as the story books made it. She was fortunate, to have fresh water every morning for baths, and to be able to keep up her cleanliness. But most men didn't bother washing, they just let everything grow out, and it dirt anf grimy started to be too much to handle, then they swam in the ocean. Very few men on the ship didn't have beards, which gave them the apperance of being extremely tough. Of course, they were all just big softies.

She sighed, her arm beginning to feel the aching pain of the scrubbing. She stopped, letting it have its fair share of rest. She looked down, watching the soap slide down the pot. It was a lazy job she was doing, and she knew it. But she just thought having this sort of life would have more excitement to it. She could have scrubed dishes at home, or gotten a servant to do it for her...

Suddenly she heard a crack, like the sound of snapping wood. Her heart beat stopped, thinking of all the possibilities to the sounds source. She tentatively turned her head to the side, watching horror slide through the door...

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"AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

A woman's shriek could be heard throughout the entire deck, every man cranked his head to listen to the shrills. They were coming from the kitchen, were Kagome worked...

Miroku was nearest, and burst through the wooden door. Kagome was tangled in a mass of tentacles and vines, trying to work her way out.

"Miroku!"

He unsheathed his sword, praying that it would last until Inuyasha arrived. The crew all ran to him, letting Miroku handle what ever the monstrosity was in the kitchen. He sliced away at a few tentacles, but the more he sliced, the more grew back. Kagome reached out for him, her hand squirming with purple and green tentacles. Her eyes were swollen with fear, and he could tell she couldn't breathe.

"Kagome!"

He sliced away at the vine strangling her neck, allowing her to breathe again. She gasped, and was pulled back through the wood. The tentacles pulled her through a window in the bottom next floor, and Miroku jumped down the hole, trying to reach her in time...

The squirming mass engulfed her, her shrieks still audiable. It crawled up to the deck, where it dragged along its tentacles, daring anyone to attack it. It had no body, just a tangled mass of tentacles. The squeek of tentacles rubbing against each other was overwhelming. It was like nails scratching against a chalkboard, the sound making you cringe and cover your ears. But besides the painful screech, was a woman's shrieks of terror.

But she didn't really shriek, instead she called out the one name she trusted more than anything else in the world. The name that sent her heart soaring, and her blood boiling. Hot tears ran down her face as she reached out through the mass of tentacles to shout his name,"Inuyasha!"

Her hand outstretched, as if trying to pull herself out with it. Her eyes were paved in terror, dilated and widened. Her heart thumped angrily against her chest, praying that death would not be upon her. She was afraid to die, she was afraid of not seeing him again. She wanted to fight back, to protect herself, but yet she couldn't destroy the tentacles with the pink light that soon surrounded her body.

"Inuyasha!"

Her voice was shrill, and choked. Her throat was raw from her high pitched screaming. The tears flowed half from fear, the rest from the tightening of her throat. He wasn't coming for her, he wasn't here when she needed him. Her hand fell as she realized he wouldn't come, and she was left alone to die. The humber one rule of piracy, if it will kill you, don't waste it. It would be a waste to help her, she was a stowaway, he was a captain. He had value, she had none. Her heart broke in two...

Until she heard the familiar battle cry of a powerful hanyou. She watched as he ran up to the demon, slicing away at the powerful tentacles with only his claws. Her heart soared, and she was no longer afraid. The pink light soon turned to purple, then a crystal blue, which dissolved all the demon around her. She pulled off the remains, running to him. He caught her in his arms, pulling her behind his sword.

"Wind Scar!"

He sliced through the air, creating a vortex of yellow flames that cut through the demon. She knew it was over, and turned to his chest, holding herself against him. He had no opposition, and dropped his sword to hold her close to him. He stroked her hair, trying to calm down her cried of fear.

"Oh, Inuyasha...I didn't...I didn't think...you'd come..."

He sighed almost amused,"You think I'd leave you?"

She nodded...

"You mean more to me than anything. I would never leave you in harm's way."

She felt the tears still flowing, but in a softer flow now. She never wanted to leave his protective embrace, never wanted to leave him...

And he had no opposition to that...

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A black shadow smiled, his white fangs gleaming. His twisted tendrals of ebony flowed down his back like a cascading waterfall. The baboon fur was wrapped around him in a cloak, sealing his identity away. He watched the mirror, smiling...

"Tsubaki, soon they will be smitten with each other. Don't you agree..."

The undescribably beautiful Tsubaki walked into the room, her blood red lips twisted into a smirk,"It will be time, to begin to take action..."

"No, I want them in the deepest relationship possible, I want him to suffer as I have. I want him to be so heart broken it might litterally kill him, then when can take action."

She gave a dark chuckle,"How should I kill the girl?"

"You won't kill her, I will kill her. But not before I torture her, not before I rip her soul out and crush it beneath my feet. I want him to witness everything, I want to break his heart into a million shards, destroy him in the most unlikely way."

"You are a twisted devil, Naraku..."

He licked his lips,"Soon, you will see how twisted I can be."

She nodded, turning her attention to the saintly girl in white. Her black eyes had no life, and her emotions were all the same...nothingness. But she held the mirror, a steady gentle hand that never vibrated. Naraku watched this mirror intently, gathering clues, gathering information. His master minds were not without careful observation and strategic planning. She traced a finger along the back of a seat, rolling the dust off her fingers...

"Tsubaki, I need a way to get into the woman's mind, do you have a spell or somethign similar."

The priestess smiled,"I have a spell that will allow you to control her mind and body..."

A smile gave her the impression that he was pleased,"Perfect..."

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Kagome sat on his bed, waiting for him to finish his bathing. She learned last time, don't go in there...at all...

She flumped onto her side, holding herself with her arms. She couldn't help but blush at the thought of her sudden caprice to be held by him. Thinking about it now seemed childish and silly, not at all like her. But the feeling it gave her was so wonderful, it made it seem completely right.

"I'm done..."

She looked up to see a partially dry haired Inuyasha, dressed in a regular outfit. A black tank top, green pants that tucked into his boots. He looked incredible sexy, snd she couldn't help but sneak a few glances here and there.

But then she noticed, his eyes never left her. They just stared at her, making her feel strangely aroused. He began to walk closer to her, and sat next to her...

"Pretty crazy day..huh..."

She was taken aback by the simple conversation, but replied,"More than you'll know..."

Her hear thumped in her chest, her arousal becoming more and more. Problem is she couldn't figure out what it was. Was it the way his golden orbs pierced her soul, or the smoothness of his lips. Could it be the way he sat, with on arm propping himself up. She didn't know, all she knew was that it ws getting harder and harder to not lean in towards him, to not let her urges become reality. Her breathing became deeper, as she tried to control it.

"I mean't what I said..."

She looked at him,"What?"

"You are the most important thing in the world to me. More than anyone could ever compare to..."

She blushed,"I don't see why..."

He stared at her,"Why? WHY? Look at you, you're funny, you're smart, you're witty, you're more interesting to talk to than anyone I've ever met, you've got a gorgeous body, you glow like an angel when you smile...for goodness sake Kagome you're perfect!"

She looked down, clearly embarrassed,"I'm not...anything like that..."

He looked her dead in the eye,"Yes you are, at least..to me..."

She swallowed, trying to supress her emotions,"I guess...that's all that matters, isn't it..."

"What matters?"

She blushed,"That you think...kind things about me..."

His heart swelled, his body wanted her so badly. She just sat there, innocently staring at her hands. But he wanted her to look at him, he didn't care if she thought he was ugly or disfigured, he had to look her in the eye. He reached out, lifting her chin up to his, gazing upon the warm brown orbs.

Her heart pounded in her chest, the way he forced her shin up, she half expected him to kiss her. But he just gazed at her, making it nearly impossible to not want him. But the intensity of the golden orbs, those amazing amber orbs that glowed with a light of their own, was overwhelming for her...

She was only human after all...

But what shocked her, was the feeling of her being pulled into his lips, and to taste a hunger as deep as hers. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she immediately responded to the kiss. His lips englufed hers, and she immediately felt his arms around her back. She sighed into his mouth, feeling his stop mementarily to take in the exotic flavors that made his mouth water. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, welcomed graciously with her own. It was almost a battle between them, to see who could get the mose kisses or lick in. She was lowered onto her back, feeling his hair veil out around them both. She reached up, tightning a fist around a chunk of hair.

She breathed his name, her voice more a breath than a sound. She was responded by a sigh of his sweet breath. She kissed him fiercer, pulling his closer to her. She never wanted this to end, this moment she had died for for she had no idea how long. She ran her hands to the hem of his shirt, feeling the rippling muscles underneath. He searched for her own hem, but she was now wearing a dress, and the hem was far away...

He broke the kiss, eagerly trying to find the hem of her dress. Thoughts consumed her mind, and unfortunately, also logic. She knew what this would lead to...

And she wasn't sure whether it was sudden desire, or something meant to happen, this moment. None the less, she stopped him, pulling him up her her, gazing up into his eyes,"What are you doing?"

He looked at her, hungrily eyeing her body, although the realization was soon hitting him as well. He looked into those golden brown eyes, understanding that what had just happened wasn't supposed to. It didn't look like regret, but more like it was expected of them to be responsible. He knew it wasn't right to continue, although he so desperately wanted to.

"Kagome..I..."

He didn't need to finish, she knew. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up into his chest. She wrapped her own around him, smelling the scent of salty sea and pine. He kissed her neck,"Kagome...I'm so sorry..."

He pushed her down, the sudden force bouncing her on the bed. She looked at him,"What..."

He had a downward glance,"I understand, its not right for a human to be with a hanyou, we're vile creatures who destroy everything incuding lives. Don't worry I understand."

She gave him a sad look,"Inuyasha, no...you have it wrong..."

"Then what is it? An I too ugly, am I too mean, what?"

She jumped a little from the jolt of his voice, bbut spoke loudly enough for him to hear,"I'm afraid...I've never done anything like that before..."

All the angry form his face receeded, and a relieved look replaced it. He walked over, looking at her, taking her into his arms,"We don't have to do a thing, not one thing..."

"Whats gonna happen to us..."

He looked thoughtful for a moment,"We won't mention it to anyone. Its like it never happened I guess..."

"Why?"

He sighed sadly,"It was a sudden desire on both our parts, it didn't mean anything. It was stupid sudden whims, not anything else..."

She stood up angrily,"What! A sudden whim...a desire? You are an arrogant bastard! Don't even begin to fathom that you have any clue of what I thought about it, cause you don't. That was the most beautiful, passionate oment of my life, and you're trying to tell me it didn't mean anything to you.."

His eyes softened,"Of course it did, but Kagome be reasonable...it was a sudden desire..."

The pain cut her heart like a razor. All that happened meant nothing to him, absolutely nothing. Tear formed in her eyes, as she remembered all the passion she had felt, all the joy that the moment brought. She gave herself to him, her whole self. She stared at him for a moment, before running out the door, hot tears trailing her cheeks.

_Its better this way, Kagome. I must protect you from myself, I cant put you in danger. Don't you see what you mean to me! You're my life now, my complete world. I love you more than anything you could ever imagine, more than any amount could ever be sumed up. I love you with all my heart and soul, but I can't tell you. I can't let anything like that happen again, not ever. I must protect you from my greatest enemy...myself..._

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Ok, that last bit, I put so much into. I really hope everyone likes it, I really really do. Its so sad, but yet you can understand why he has to do it, can't you. And yes, the woman was Tsubaki, as most people guessed. Yay, you get a cookie! Omg, i am so tired, I can't wait to go to bed. I expect lots of reviews in the morning, got that...j/k(or not)

people who reviewed:

Inuyasha Lover 813

Galactic-Girl-Amber

Star Sapphirex

inuyasha1818

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Black Juju

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yay! Wow I'm almost to 100 reviews already! I'm liek really surprised I've gotten such positive feedback, seriously. I thought people would be all,...oh its not about johnny deep...

But their not, their all, wow I like this story, which makes me get warm fuzzies cause that makes me happy!

Please review, its a purple button at the bottom that says Submit Review...

Toodles!


	9. No forgiveness

Chp 9 play evanescence's like you(do i ever choose something NOT evanescence) You won't have it downloaded since it came out on tuesday but its so AWESOME FOR THIS CHAPTER!

Her heart was completely shattered, gone from existence. Every tear she fought from shedding, every pain she went through was for a mere crush on a hanyou who didn't give a damn about her. Her hands clenched in anguish, and she ground her teeth together in an effort to calm herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to let the warm tears fall. She wouldn't let him win, not over her. She was a complete fool to ever believe in him, to ever believe in love. She never loved him, she never would love him. HAH, what was she talking about, love and Inuyasha were two completely different subjects. Inuyasha was an idiot who played her just as he did everyone. He was cruel, and she hated him, hated him to death. Love was not the choice of subject, for she loved nothing anymore. She'd never have a chance at love, never have a chance at anything relationship wise. She was a stupid woman, so stupid for letting her barriers down and pretending a man like him would ever want her.

She banged her fist against the wall she leaned on, wishing she could rip the entire ship apart, bringing him down from the world he built for himself. She wanted to be his demise, his downfall. She despised him, hated him for all his worth. There was no love, not for him. Not for a man she so desperatey needed, so desperated wanted...

But those feelings were never more, and would never exist again. She wouldn't let it hapen, not now, not int he future, not ever ever ever EVER!

She growled and slammed her fist through the plasterboard. She didn't care, not one bit. The tears flowed, burning hot on her red face. She wanted to die, it hurt so much. Why did it hurt so much, she didn't care about him. Was it lack of pride that hurt her, it had to be. She couldn't love a vile man as he, not in a million years would she ever consider it.

_Don't kid yourself, don;t even think those thoughts. You know damn well you care about him, more than anything. Thats why it hurts, because you lost the one thing you really wanted, him. _

She gave a cruel smile, twisted in half grimace, half smirk. She knew she was lieing to herself, and it was foolish to betray herself. Of course she was hurt, of course love as never meant to be. She could never love him, it was forbidden for her. He could never love her, so in return she could never love him. She couldn't live with that rejection, of that kind of pain. To love someone you knew could never love you back, how could anyone survive that kind of pain.

_You can't even think the word love, you don't even know what love is. You're 19, you've barely lived your life. What would you know about love, about anything that relates to love. You've always been good with boys, they've always liked you. You've always had your way, and to think that someone as spoiled as me could ever know love..._

She shook her head, trying to expell her current thought track. It wasn't worth her time to try to understand these feelings, because she knew they were nothing. Just an over thoughtout crush, thats all. She could learn to deal with this, being only friends, assuming thats what he still wanted to do.

She rubber her shoulders, wishing it wasn't so cold. She shivered, knowing it would only get colder as the night went on. They were heading far north, where the Isle of Knowledge lay. They usually were in much warmer climate, usually staying near the coast line of India, Korea, China, and Japan. She had lived in China, althought her nationality was Japanese. Her father was a wealthy man who's money came through inheirtance. She didn't really question where it came from.

She sighed, her family would be furious if they knew where she was. They'd never approve of her being with Inuyasha. Even if he did have these riches, and the fabulous ship, he was still trash compared to her. Trash TRASH! He was the slime underneath her feet, the grit she picked from her teeth. He was absolutely nothing compared to her, an educated, beautiful woman from a well to do family who was the talk of the town. She was rich, powerful, well to do, he was a filthy pirate who knew nothing of the life she lead.

Overwhelming pain was a friend closer to her than she realized. The pain made her angry, and anger created hatred, somethign she cherished right now. She wasn't up for pity or forgiveness, she wanted to hate something, and so she releashed her anger on the dashing man with silver hair. How could she not dispise him right now, in her moment of downfall. He caused this hatred, this pain, everything she felt.

She couldn't hold it in much longer, these terrible thoughts. Soon enough she dashed out the doors, running as fast as she could, as if trying to run from a childish nightmare. But her fears were reality, and pain was an antidote for the fear. Hatred made it all seem more dramatic, adding another layer to keep the pain sealed up inside her. She ran faster, her lungs burning with physical pain this time, but yet again the pain was soothing. Her legs felt heavy as lead climbing up the stairs, as she raced to the upper deck for a certain salvation. Her tears froze her face, the air not nesecarily cold, but she was raning so fast that the air seemed much colder than it really was.

She raced on the deck, her dress tangling in her legs. The crewmen all watched their lady running, the tears obvious on her pain stricken face. One man tried to stop her, and suceeded in grabbing her bent arms, which were holding up her dress. She looked up to see violet blue eyes, a sign of the charming Miroku.

"Miss Kagome! What happened?"

"Nothing," Such a lie was obvious in the stress in her voice,"Just...homesick..."

He looked shocked, he'd nearly forgotten she had a family who missed her,"Oh miss, I'm sorry I just assumed it was something to do with the captain."

She flipped her head to stare at his face,"Why would you think that!" She pulled her arm away from him, suceeding in the attempt,"I don't have any interest in him at all, I hate him. Isn't that obvious, he dragged me on this stupid ship anyway! Its all his fault, everything!"

She ignorantly twisted around and walked with what dignity she had left to the place she was running towards. Miroku watched her, her head high, her cheeks red against her tanned skin. She was flustered, more than she let on no doubt. He couldn't help but feel Inuyasha was the root of her unusual anger. He had much more than a hunch after her rants, and knew he'd have to get the details from Inuyasha...

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Kagura, the magnificent keeper of the books, the lady of dance, the foreteller of events, watched the quarrel between the petty hanyou and miko. Her rub red eyes shined like two beads of blood swelling out of a wound, her matching lips twisting into a playful smirk. Her fangs gleamed white, and the beauty of her wicked smile was much more than a pretty face. Her knowledgeable appearance made her appear to have lived a thousand lives, ages beyond her young appearance.

"You were correct, Kanna, I should not have doubted on your skills."

The pale faced girl looked up at her, giving a nod,"No, I foresaw that too."

Kagura nodded,"Yes, but will the fortune be foretold completely, this is a chain of events, not just one on its own."

Kanna gave a silent glaze at Kagura,"Yes, my mistress, but will Naraku truely come back to you for assistance?"

She shook her head,"He doesn't have the need to, and I have no desire to help him. I severed the bond between us long ago, you have nothing to fear of him."

Kanna remembered the much darker times, when Naraku was the master, she shuddered in her memories forgetting the life she lead without her soul. She was in all truth a void, or at least birthed from one. She remembered the times before Kagura's reign, and preferred to keep those in a locked section of her memories, not meant to be opened.

"Kagura, that man..Miroku...and the Lady Sango...do you perhaps believe..."

Her implied meaning was more than nescessary,"Yes I do, it is not mine to protect, and it is hers to take. But I do fear what would happen in Naraku did gain it..."

Kanna shook her head, her long white tresses remaining in the same position throughout the entire act. Althought she regained her soul, and her identity, she was still a void, something never meant to be filled. She was a young girl before, and she had grown since the times of Naraku. She was a good 5ft tall, with long lean legs, her white tresses cut at her lower back. Her eyes, no longer black, were now a soft dark blue. Her bust was small, but she was only 15 in human years. Her garmets were usually white, for it had always been the color she had known. But on rare occasions, she wore an ice blue kimono, which was never worn without reason. Usually a celebration or formal occasion, but otherwise...she preferred the ghostly white.

Kagura closed her eyes, meditating to have the insight into the day of whom ever she desired. It was her talent, to see what other people could see. All she had to do was close her eyes, and focus on the person aura. She could feel that person's emotions and see the sight through their eyes. She could take over a person's mind, assuming that they were weak minded and not worthy of her gift of knowledge.

Kanna knew that many men thought themselves worthy, insisting that their knowledge was more than sufficient enough to gain the knowledge of Lady Kagura. What lies, what scum, to think inferior being such as they could ever come a thousand miles to where her Mistress was. Kagura was the all powerful, the all knowing, perhaps only the Great Dog Demon was more powerful than her mistress, but his untimely death brought her the ultimate gift, a challenge. To guard the book...his last wishes...

Kanna gave the tiniest glimpse of a smile, her lips barely twitching in an upward smirk. No one would find the book, for no one could answer the question to determine their worth...

"Kanna, send for Sango-sama..."

Kanna nodded, not surprised Kagura had used the -sama for the Lady Sango. Sango was precious, in many more ways than one. Kagura respected her in a way no other mortal could compare to. But Kagura sought ways to immortalize the woman, wanting her essence around forever, which Sango politely refused. _Not today my Lady... _she would politely answer. Kanna thought her a fool, to refuse this drink of life, but Kagura respected her all the more for it. But Kanna was not all knowing, just all seeing. Kagura knew what she was doing, Kanna had no doubts about that.

Kanna signaled a guard,"Bring Sango," She ordered in her whisper of a voice.

The man nodded, scurrying away from the room. Kanna watched her mistress close her eyes, watching another's life. Her blood red lips smiled,"He's coming..."

She replied in question,"Whom?"

Her eyes shot opened, her gleaming fang caught in a wicked smile,"The one of Worth..."

Kanna gazed into her mirror, watching as the picture began to form. The sea's foaming white mouth wncaped a ship well known to all. Tales of its greatness, of its superiority, of its glory, soared throughout the land. The ship her Mistress had built herself, the Wind Scar. The hanyou Inuyasha, was the captain of the ship. His power was more than any demon's, surpassing his father's many years ago. His talent of working the sea was well known and respected by many, especially her Mistress.

But a knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts, and soon the Lady Sango entered the room, her hands twisting nervously behind her back,"You wanted to see me, m'Lady?"

Kagura nodded,"I have news for you, Sango-sama..."

She blushed, Kagura's affection for her more than she believed to be deserved,"Just Sango...What news have you for me?"

A sly smile arose on her lips,"The man Miroku, is coming this way."

Sango tried to not be affected by this news, but it could be seen that she jumped a moment or so after she heard the news, her browns eyes gleaming with some unforseen emotion,"And...what does he have to do with me?"

Another smile,"I want you to welcome him when he arrives, I will take care of the rest of the crew, but Miroku is...special. I want you to take care of him, in your private quarters..."

When Kagura said private quarters, she meant something much more than just a hut. She meant the private quarters reserved for Sango in the palace, which she rarely used. She was too modest to accept them, but not rude enough to reject them. So she used them after a long battle, the soft bed, and warm bath a treat for her. Sango blushed red, instead of the light pink she usually shed,"Of..course. I will make sure he is comfortable..."

"Thank you, I knew I could trust you."

Kanna eyed Kagura, wishing they were alone so Kagura could tell her what she was scheming. She knew Kagura wanted Sango to fall for Miroku, but why was the question...

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Inuyasha couldn't bear the tension at the table, watching Kagome sit at the farthest end of the table, just to be away from him. She used to sit next to him, ever night, no matter the circumstances. He never felt such humiliation, the mass of emotions forming a pit in his stomach. He wanted to be angry with her, but how could he. He did this to himself, and believed this was the way it had to be. He was not meant to touch her wavy locks, or kiss her smooth lips, feel her soft skin...

His mind evoked strong feelings, her hot breath breathing some sensual words in his ears, his hand gliding over her perfect form, grazing her lightly with his sharp claws. Her sharp intake of breath, sending shivers down his spine, the pleasurable tingles making him sigh a breath of both relief and need...

Damn it...

He hoped no one noticed his embarassing situation, and pretended not to notice it himself. It did have downfalls to be a man, especially at times like these. He closed his eyes, thinking about somethign other than Kagome. Dead pigs, murdered babies...

The effect was the one he wanted...thank goodness...

He dared to glance her way, hoping in a certain way, that her eyes might meet his. That she might somehow know that he didn't hate her, oh God how he wished for a miracale such as that. He wished he could begin a reltionship with a woman such as her, funny, smart, beautiful, sassy, arrogant, intimidating...charming, easy to smile, easy to anger...

She was so complex, this woman of women. She had so many layers, he didn't know which he wished to break first...

Gah, what was he thinking, he wasn't allowed to be near her. He wouldn't let himself harm her like Kikyo, he'd made that mistake once, and look at the price he had to pay. He clenched his fist into a tight ball, letting the knuckles turn to a sickening pale white. What monster possessed him, what made him the evil creature he would die to cast out from the world. A killing machine, one that kills with no pain, or anger, or satisfaction. Always more blood, always more pain, it was never enough for the demon in him. He took pains to seal it away, the rusty sword at his side at all times, women never allowed in his chambers. It was a great loss, losing women, they were his muse in so many ways, but he was not able to protect them or himself. So he had to result to a lesser alternative...

But a soft sound, like whispering wind, caught his attention. The floorboards creaked, and the room went silent at the small, delicate steps of a graceful woman. The the bulking of boots agains thte polished wood, the shrieks fo a woman nearby. Suddenly he heard a sound so familiar he thought it a ghost. A sigh so pleasent and sweet, so crisp and fresh. Only one woman could have a sigh like that, a sigh so perfect it was frightening. He turned, fearing the worst...

A black veil covered her face, thick enough for you to be unable to see her face, but you could still make out the outline. It was perfectly shaped, with long glossy white hair. Even from the shadows of the veil, her tainted lips could be seen twisting into a smirk of a smile...

"Tsubaki..."

A small giggle of pleasure errupted from her perfect lips,"You remembered..."

Its indescribable to explain how it feels to see the face of an enemy after so long. A face he thought long forgotten, a laugh that send a deep cold throughout him. His heart sunk into an everlasting sink, following a path of nothingness into a dark oblivium.

His first instinct was to protect Kagome, and without thought for the conscequences, he ran in front of her. He jumped onto the table, standing in front of the shocked woman, his sword unsheathed and transformed. His determination was seen sprawled on his face, his fangs barred in defense.

"I see no reason to fight you, it is inevitable that I would lose. So instead I will separate you..."

Her words were completely illogical, even more so as a blue lightning bolt sprang from her hand and engulfed the hanyou and miko. It made no sense, for he felt no sensation of pain, but felt almost a soft aura overtake him, pulling him apart in gentle waves. The beam became brighter, so he could no longer see the black veil of the woman Tsubaki. So bright he couldn't see the faces of his crew, nor the room itself. But his eyes didn't squint, they couldn't. He was frozen without ice, without cold, without anything. He longed to reach behind him, to feel the warmth of the human he would die to protect. Was that it, was he dead?

How could he be dead, was that not the sound of the ocean against a beach. Was henot lying in sand? Suddenly he could feel his arms again, and his legs. He coudl feel himself lying down on a sandy beach, a warm sun beaming down on him. His first reaction, as expected, was to find Kagome. He sat up on his arms, looking for the emerald dress she wore before. But there she was, no harm done to her, lying as he had face down in the sand. He crawled over to her, helping to awaken.

"Kagome!"

She coughed, a tiny spray of sand erupted from her lips,"Uh..."

"Kagome, are you alright?"

She began to move her arms, picking herself up. He watched helplessly and she looked around, just as dazed and confused as he,"Where are we?"

He shook his head,"I have no clue, I think she teleported up somewhere."

She looked at him, her eyes bright with confusion,"What?"

"She's very powerful, and she did just appear in the room. Her scent wasn't even able to reach me before she spoke. She's become much more powerful since our last encounter."

Kagome looked down, wondering if he knew...

"I'm just glad your safe..."

She glanced up at him, anger filling her up from the core,"Don't flatter yourself."

He looked at her,"What?"

"You don't care about me, its obvious..." She proudly stood up, wiping the sand off her dress.

"What are you talking about? I don't care about you? Where in hell did you get such a stupid idea, woman?"

"From last night..."

His heart sank, and her head remained bowed. Her bottom lip quivered, and as relaization hit him, she began to walk away.

"Kagome get back here!"

"No! Leave me alone, I'll take care of myself!"

She trudged off in the sand, not caring where she was going, or more importantly, what she was doing. She just wanted to get away from him, anywhere else would be fine.

"You idiot, I do too care about you!"

She twisted around, the venom in her eyes deadly as a snake,"Don't insult me, you treated me like a common concubine! Thats what people view me as, your personal whore. I didn't think anything of it til last night, when I realized thats how you saw me too. Don't try to make excuses now, because thats what you did and you know it!"

Her eyes were watery, but not yet tear filled, it was anger talking not the pain...not yet at least...

"You're so stupid, I don't think of you as a concubine or a whore, or anything related to that. You are a woman, a wonderful, beautiful woman, whom I'm lucky to know."

"Don't try to flatter me now, its too late for that!"

He marched up to her, and she slapped him across the face. He felt his head twist to the side, and was momentarily stunned. But soon enough he turned his head, and without another word took her arms and shook her,"What the hell!"

"You deserved more than that!"

His anger was seen plainly in his eyes, which were a glowing amber in this light. Her brown ones were also different in this light, specks of gold scattered in her iris. The golden light of a sunset set her hair algow, the black tendrals shining with the orange flourescence of the sunlight. He couldn't stand it like this, her thinking so little of him. He crushed her against his chest, refusing to let her free.

"Let me go!"

"Never, not in a million years, not til you take it back!"

"No, I stand by those words!"

"Damn it woman! What do I have to do to make you understand! I do care for you, more than..."

But he couldn't finish the sentence..at least not then...He loved her more than anything, care for her more than anyone he'd ever known, but how could he ever tell her that? How could a hanyou ever admit his true feelings?

"...More than you'll know. You are a dear friend, more than a friend. I don't want to lose that, not ever," _Even if it means never being able to tell you how I truely feel._

She had calmed down considerably since then, her tension loosened. She didn't say anything, and he didn't expect her too. But for the moment, he was happy, holding her...and in his own way...loving her. She might not ever care, or ever know, but he swore to himself he would protect her, he would always care, and even though he might not be perfect, he would be the best he could be for her.

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I'm SOOOOO sorry abotu the long update, but I swear I have had no time with band, and homework, and an attempt at a social life! You guys have no idea how busy I've been, like to the point I don't have time to eat! Its rough, really rough, and I've missed writing! So busy, but its fall break for me this week! And I'll be gone (sorry for those hoping for an update), I'm going to disney world! Holy shizzle I'm excited, I've never been(And I live in Tn!) But I've been to disneyland, which rocked. Omg i'm so excited, so flipping excited. I have to do laundry though, tomorrow...

But thats ok cause I'm gonna see MICKEY MOUSE! I'm staying at the park for like 5 days, and I'm goign to get to go to everything(and we're going during the WORLD FOOD FESTIVAL!) And i'll get to talk to my boyfriend as much as I want cause I have my own phone this year! I'm leaving monday, yay for airport transportation!

Ok I'll stop rambling, and onto people who reviewed(and put up with my way too late update!)

inuyasha1818

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readingwriting wench

Black Juju

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kimi0ochan

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Wow I feel really special! So many reviews(now I feel even worse I haven't been able to update. Jeez not I need to do Silver Scar! Don't I...gah I wanna finish that story, its getting to be a bother...)

ANYWAY! Thank you so much for puttin up with my terribly long wait, and please review!


	10. A glimpse into his world

chp 10

The grains of sand stuck to her body as she picked herself up off the shore. With no shelter or anything, they wre forced to use the sand as a bed that night, which unfortunately was now sticking to her face and arms. As sleep's grogginess still claimed her she rubbed the sand from her cheek, and swept off the spoils on her arm. Her skin had little imprints from the tiny beads, which was an odd way of looking at her skin.

She glanced down at Inuyasha, sleeping soundly on his back, seeming as if he slept like this every night. His relaxed position made him seem so comfotable, it was other worldly...

He muttered something allong the lines of,' more apples...no ham...' and turned on his side. She raised an eyebrow at his sleep talk. She shrugged it off, not bothering to get the finer details of his dream. She turned to look where they were, and spotted tall trees off in the distance. She gave no thought as to where she was going, just that it look more interesting that this beach. She sighed, stretching out her sore back, and began to walk towards the trees, the excersise waking her up from drogginess. As she neared, she realized the trees had nuts the size of watermelons growing on them. She'd never seen such a thing, and searched for a way to get one down. She spotted a long stick about as tall as she was, and began prodding the branches with it.

Soon one toppled down from its nesting on the branch, and landed with a _thud_ on the sand beneath her. She looked quizzically at it, as if trying to see if it could be eaten at all. It had a yellow green husk, with brown shavings stuck to it. She tilted her head, and decided on picking it up. She felt something inside it, swishing about like fish in the belly of a whale. She found to her amazement, that the nut had water inside it. She squealed with joy, and raced back with it to a still sleeping Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, look! I found something," She stated excitedly as a school girl. Her giggles of joy were enough to rouse him from his sleep. He got up, balancing on his arm, and looked at her shining face.

"What?"

She smiled as if she'd found gold or a treasure,"Look!"

He looked at the brown husk, his monotoned face not twitching an inch,"So..."

"Listen," She shook the nut, the swishing water jumbling inside,"Water!"

"Its not water, its coconut milk. You have in your hand, a genuine coconut, congradulations."

All the happiness shriveled from her face in a swift gesture of his sarcasm. She glared at him, as he stretched out from a seemingly well rested sleep. He yawned, and stretched, his back popping with every movement. She continued to glare, mostly from embarrasment. She waited for his glance, so she could lock eyes with him. When he finally did, she couldn't handle the intensity of those burning gold irises. She blushed furiously, staring at the sand...

"You hungry?" He stated bluntly. But he needed no answer. He took the coconut from her loose grip and tossed it in the air. In a single swipe he sliced the nut in two, leaving a milky white in each half. She looked at it, then him, as if trying to ask what to do.

"Its sweet milk, from the fruit inside. Eat it, its good."

He took a half, as if trying to take her step by step. He raised the cup-like shell to his lips, and took a sip. After the milk was gone, he scraped off the soft fruit from the sides, eating each bite. Kagome sat down with him, and decided to do the same with her half. She raised the bowl to her lips, almost afraid of not liking it. She tilted it back, feeling the warm liquid against her lips, entering her slightly opened mouth. She swished it around for a moment, letting the flavors roll on her tongue for a brief moment. Her face lit up, deciding she liked this beverage. She took a fingernail to the side of the nut, scraping off the fruit from the sides. She was eager to try this, hoping it would taste as good as the milk. The flavor was exotic to her, sweet and potent in her mouth. She smiled, enjoying this new found food.

"See, good." He said to her.

She gave him a warm smile, a strange reaction for her. But he liked the smile, how it lit up her entire face, emmiting a light of its own. Her raven tresses framed her face so neatly, he was disappointed when she pushed a few stranded behind her ear. They sat in silence, but it was a pleasant silence. His eyes would flicker up to her face, just to catch a glimpse of her radience. It was amazing how fast he had fallen for her, how fast he had fallen in love with her. Love was such a powerful word, a word he wasn't truely familiar with. Yes he had loved, but not like this, nothing at all like this. Everyday he looked for something new he could learn about her, loving every minute with her. The one kiss they had shared, the one mind blowing kiss, was something much more to him than a meeting of the lips. It was a silent promise to love her and protect her forever. He knew love between them wasn't possible, but as long as he could love her from afar...he could cope. Sometimes he watched as she slept, listening to her sweet intakes and outakes of breath. His mouth watered involuntarily, remembering the taste of her breath. He wanted her desperately, so desperately. He loved every aspect about her, her long ebony hair, her stunning brown eyes with flecks of warm gold, her perky breasts, her sloping shoulders, the curve of her hips.

God, did he want her. He watched her pink rosy lips purse in some deep thought, her face turning into a look he rarely saw. Unforetunately it was a look he could not decipher, which enraged him to the fullest, especially right now. He could just imagine himself tackling her, surprising her with fits of passion. He felt himself rise, and quickly stood up and walked away without a word.

"Where are you going!?" She said with a mix of curiosity and shock.

"Bathroom..." He stated bluntly.

He walked away, no shuffled away, complete truth to his statement. He needed a bathroom, or somwhere to relieve himself of this growing mass...

_10 minutes later..._

_Kagome lay on the beach, her arms sprawled out, soaking up the warmth of the sun overhead. Inuyasha couldn't help but stare, wary of his mind's ability to imagine things in...a seductive manner. He scanned her, seeing how she'd changed in the 3 months she'd been on the ship. Her arms were stronger, her shoulders more pronounced. Muscles could be seen under her one delicate legs, her flat stomach was now more shapely, he could see that without actually seeing the skin. _

_"Inuyasha, why are you staring?"_

_Her awareness of his presense was a little bit of a shock, but stated plain as day,"'Cause you're so beautiful..."_

_Immediately his eyes popped open, his once relaxed state was now tense and stressed. His hand immediately fled to him mouth, the words had just spilled out like water from a pail. He had been so...completely caught off guard..._

_Her eyes popped open, shock evident in her face. What did he say! She scrambled to face him, just in time to see his hands fly to his mouth. It was obvious he had spoken the truth, otherwise he wouldn't have that reaction. Her heart pounded, as hope filled her heart, hope she thought tossed away, but which was merely buried somewhere deep inside. _

_"W..Wwhat?"_

_Her breath was caught in a gasp, she was so nervous and excited..._

_His first instinct was to run, run to the other side of the island. But to see her, those warm brown orbs flickering his way, he was immediately frozen in place. He gulped, not sure what to do in this sort of situation. He panted, his senses on a sickly high. He was immediately aware of her, all she could offer, all he could do to harm her. He remembered the blood, the torn flesh, a rust taste in his mouth. His world became red that day, with strands of long black tresses sprawled in the crimson evidence of his torture. _

_No! Not Kagome, not her. You can't...its too much a risk...not her..God not her..._

_"I'm sorry Kagome, I..." But it would be a complete lie to say he didn't mean it, and no words came to his mind. Just feelings, emotions, torturing him with their nausea and head spinning. He couldn't lie to her, not after last time. But how could he say something to keep them still just friends!? Sitting there, completely innocent of the thoughts in his head. God, she was too beautiful, so beautiful, carved by the angels themselves..._

_She began to stand, almost afraid. But she had the courage, he didn't. She inched near him...getting closer...closer...suffocating him with her intoxicating scent. Her eyes were so curious, filled with an emotion foreign to him for so long...wanting..._

_He could hear the pound of her heart, as she walked up to him. Her head was bent towards the ground, but the smell of the tears in her eyes was evident. She waited the longest moment, a long dreadful moment, before she looked up at him. The shining brown orbs, golden flakes shimmering in the warm oasis. She swallowed, then stated,"Really?"_

_It filled him with joy, he wanted to pick her up and twirl her. He was almost relieved by the joy! But he stood still, frozen in place by her intense gaze..._

_"Really..."_

_Her hot breath on his chest, her quiet pants, it was exhilarating. She looked up at him, almost daring to touch him to see if he was real. She bit her lip, then spoke words only for him,"I..think you're incredible..."_

_What can you say about the emotions you get when a girl like her says that to you. At first you feel nothing, you're completely numb with shock. White bliss almost, you mind goes completely blank. Then you remember emotions, and thats when you began to feel the blood in your veins again. You want to laugh, cry, but mostly be so close to that person you might suffocate. For the Hanyou he grabbed her, holding her tightly against his chest. She began to sob, tears of relief..._

_They reached for each other's lips, completely oblivious to the world. He entrapped her, his wonderful lips sucking hers in. She felt weak at the knees, and began to fall. But he tightly grasped her, refusing to her to leave his lips. He sighed, the flavor so wonderful, completely mind blowing to his senses. He grabbed heartily for her, wanting more and more. He felt her tears on her wet cheeks, tenderly wiping them away. Her shattered breath came out in a ripping sigh. He pressed her face to his, as if reassuring her it was ok, wanting her more than ever. _

_"Kagome.." His breath came out in a low growl, almost primal. His hand tampered down her neck, traveling down, grabbing one firm, soft breast. Her reaction was more shock than anything, but she decided to go along with it. Her own hands traveled along his arms and shoulders, feeling his amazing chest, wanting him more than ever thought possible..._

_"Inuyasha...stop..."_

_Immediately he did, looking at her confused. _

_"I can't keep doing this..."_

_"Keep doing what?"_

_"Lieing to you..."_

_It scared him, the way she acted,"What do you mean."_

_"I can't let this go on, unless I tell you how I truely feel..."_

_His heart sank...for as mentioned before...who could love a vile creature such as he..._

_"Don't Kagome, I understand..."_

_She smiled,"No, I,"She searched for the courage,"Love you..."_

_His ears perked up, staring at her with incredible disbelief. What did she just say..._

_"You...love me?"_

_She nodded as if it was painfully obvious._

_"Kagome...you..."_

_He couldn't hold in his emotions, no where near could he keep it in. He picked her up effortlessly, spinning her like a top. He crushed his lips against hers, leaing her in a state of confusion. _

_"You have no idea... how much... I love you..."_

_Instant relief for her nerves. For the longest time she was afraid of rejection, but now..._

_No one can explain that joy. How your heart pumps, and your stomach twists and turns. But you smile, you smile so wide. Once more they crushed their lips against each others, this time letting passion take its course..._

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"Inuyasha!"

He looked about, startled by the sudden noise. He looked around, realizing it was all a dream. He silently cursed, realizing he had fallen asleep against a tree. He closed his eyes, remembering the vividness of the dream. It seemed so real, so completely real...

"Inuyasha! What the heck are you doing!?"

He stated at her worried face, realizing that his dream would never be reality. But she was gorgeous, more gorgeous than in his dream.

"A' shut up. I'm fine, just a little nap."

"You scared me, you were gone for like half an hour!"

"I'll be more careful, how bout that?"

"Sure you will..." She crossed her arms and sighed,"C'mon lets go build shelter..."

He reluctantly got up, following her towards the beach.

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Kagome couldn't help but remember what Inuyasha spoke in his sleep.

_"You have no idea how much I love you..."_

She sighed, he was probably dreaming about Kikyo. She rested her cheek on her hand, drawing pictures in the sand with her free hand. Inuyasha had gone off to find fresh water, and told her to stay here. She knew he was probably trying to be off to think about her, in fact she had little doubt about it. He had admitted to loving her, not just in his dream, but in reality. She sighed, blowing away particles of sand.

_Kikyo died because of him, and if I end up falling for him, the same thing could happen to me...than why am I not afraid?_

She picked herself up, dusting off the sand. She looked up, shading her eyes from the glaring sun. It was mid-day, hot as can be. She spotted the blue ocean, wondering if she wanted the risk of Inuyasha finding her. She decided to bathe in her under garmets and her white under dress. She slipped off the purple one, folding it up neatly, and setting it in a place it wouldn't get wet. The with all her power, she ran into the water, diamond sprinkles flying into the air. She twisted around, flopping onto her back, the cool water immediately refreshing her. She wasn't afraid to let out a sigh of relief, and did so in a long relaxing breath. She let the water engulf her, sinking slowing to the shallow bottom.

It was so quiet underwater, with nothing here but her and the ocean. She could make out the roaring tides, the crisp sound of breaking waves, and sometimes she swore she cold hear a mermaid's song. The shifting of the water made a deep pleasent sound that made her feel apart of the ocean. She drifted along, completely one with nature...

Finally her breath was spent, and she resurfaced towards a glittering sun. Her lungs rejoyced, and took their share of the fresh air. She ran her fingers through her hair, smothing back her bangs. She looked up, watching the few clouds that were overhead pass by on a gentle wind.

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" She spoke aloud,"How can I compare a summer's day to a summer's day. Its the opposite of apples and oranges, yet exactly the same...I suppose you could compare them in temperture and humidity and how you spent them. Yes, you could compare a summer's day to a summer's day, for each one is as unique and the same as the last, as perfect and as wonderful, as different and opposing..."

She felt silly, talking out loud to herself, but in a way she was serious about the whole matter. But it was humerous as was it serious, so perhaps it was just as useless as it was informative...

She giggled, laughing at her interesting argument with herself. But she soon stopped her investigation into the subject, as a piece of driftwood floated towards her. She picked it up, and tossed it onto the beach to dry. They were always needing more firewood. She sighed, and trodded along the wet, sandy, coast.

"What are you doing!?"

She froze in place, not daring to look behind her. Her heart stopped, and she cringed at the thought of him standing there the whole time...

"Well?"

She sighed,"I'm enjoying the ocean, I didn't know it was a crime."

"Having fun?"

"Very much!" She said with a smirk.

He sighed, not being able to comprehend her at all. Her stupid lacy underdress, against the breaking waves, floating in a salty breeze. Who could be so less of a man to say it wasn't a fantasy. She so much reminded him of the Stone Woman...

"You could have been The Stone Woman if you were frozen in place."

She stared at him, her face filled with curiosity,"Whats the Stone Woman?"

"Ancient legend says a woman waited on a cliff for a man until she turned to stone. He never did return, but there is an actual woman of stone, probably carved, in the perfect image of a woman standing in a white lacy dress, billowing in the wind. You look like the statue, and thats a compliment."

"Sounds like a good romance..."

"I guess, if you like that sort of thing..."

She stared at him,"you don't like a good romance?"

"Course not, I'm a sailor, not a poet."

She sighed,"I guess thats true, but in all honsty, from the poet to the sailor, no man wants to fall in love. And the worst part is when they think they've fallen in love, its nothing more that a more meaningful crush. Men are stupid, and with the exception of one or two, no man really wants a woman just to love."

He gulped, assuming she was talking about himself,"What do you mean."

"Miroku loves Sango, he truely does. But she doesn't love him back. And for woman that's rare, because usually we're so drawn to romance and love and all that mushy stuff. Its kind of sickening really."

He let out a silent breath of relief, and watched as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear,"You're a perfect example of when a man thought he was in love."

He quickly retracted in defense,"Hey, I never said I was in love with her! I did love her, but.." He looked at Kagome, realizing that he was a perfect example.

"Inuyasha, what is it like to be a hanyou? Are you more human than demon, or demon than human?"

He stared at her, not quite sure how to answer her question,"My heart...thats human, I have the same soul as a human too. But my instincts, and the way I think are usually more demon. Or at least they used to be, now I think I'm more human than demon."

"Which way do you prefer?" She said, her eyes gazing at him.

"I don't prefer either one, it just kind of happens. But I don't want to be a ruthless demon, and kill more innocent victims." His voice was pained from the last words.

"It must hurt alot, the memories..." She said, a deep sadness in her voice.

He sighed,"It gets easier, day by day. But I never go a day without thinking about her..."

For some strange reason she smiled,"Will you remember me, when I die?" She stared at him with sparkling eyes.

"Who says you'll die before I do?"

"The statistics... I mean...you're a demon, or at least a hanyou. You live for thousands of years, I'm just a human...Someday you might forget about me. Since you'll only know me for a sliver of time in your life, it would be more than likely you'll forget about me someday."

He fehed,"'Course not! How could I forget about a woman who pulled my own sword out against me!"

She smiled, more at ease from the humor,"Promise..."

"I promise."

"I'm glad we're friends, and I'm glad you stole me away on your ship."

"You stowed away!"

"Only cause you ran away!"

"I'm not your concern!"

"Are too!" She nearly yelled,"You are the best friend I could ask for! Of course I care about you, you big oaf!"

She blushed, not realizing the intensity of her emotions. He blushed too, a deep shade of red creeping across his cheeks. He looked away, but pulled her closer with one arm,"I'm...glad you care."

She smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder,"Me too..."

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Its a bit short than I usually write, but I wanted to get it out. If you haven't heard, I put up a new one-shot caled Goodbye, My Dearest Love. Its already in 2 C2's !!!!!! i was like, holy smoke! That's fast. Anyway, yea...Pretty happy to hear people are liking the story! Anyway, I hope you guys still like this story. Marching is OVER WITH! I'm so sad, I had to say goodbye to all the seniors, and I had this revelation. Next year I'll be a junior, and everyone will look up to me. I won't have anyone to look up to(cause we'll only have 3 seniors next year and two of them are lazy morons who aren't that great) And all the new freshmen will be looking up at ME! It made me feel so grateful to my seniors, cause its not easy being a leader(which I will be next year, hurray!) Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, and I'm so grateful to all the people who reviewed Goodbye, My Dearest Love.(The summary is actually a song I wrote, or a portion of it, I might post the whole thing in a sequel...thoughts anyone?)

people who reviewed:

Moondemoness468

InuKagKisses(about the story, I could post it for you, send me and email or something)

angeldiane

Ro0tin4Kagome

StarSapphirex

sqeekers

inuyasha1818

Inuyasha Lover 813

Inu-Yasha's1gurl16

kimi0ochan

Sexy Neko Gal

whitemoon3311

rubberband11

xsachi

Black Juju

luver-of-horses

Thanks again guys! You don't know how happy reviews make me! I come home everyday and check me email for reviews, and each and everyone of yours I read, and they all make me smile! Even the flammers(thought I haven't gotten alot of those since Dark Angels)...

Please review!!!!

toodles!


	11. New Moon and Lady Kagura

chp 11

She sighed, his breath tickling her neck. She felt warm arms around her, cuddling her like a teddy bear. She waved her hand towards the wind of warm air, as if trying to shoo away a fly. The soft pattern of his deep breathing woke her softly, and without thought she silently smiled, her body shook slightly with mute laughter. She placed an arm around him, taking in his warmth. She slowly inched her eyes open, seeing the night still dark. She glanced upwards, seeing the stars glimmering brightly, she glanced around seeing no moon.

"The new moon..."

She glanced at Inuyasha's face, which she could barely make out under this light. She gently glided his hands from her waist, and glanced at his sleeping form. Even his long tresses no longer shined in this black night. She longed to touch his face, but she was afraid that would rouse his peaceful sleep, and she was not one to ruin perfection. She slowly got up, in case he was sensitive to movement. She slowly took a step, making sure there was nothing in her way, and then walked down the beach in inky darkness.

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It was obvious the moment he grasped air, that Kagome was gone.

'_Damn...why does she just LOVE to cause me trouble?'_

Tired as he was, he balled his hand into a fist, and pushed himself up off the sand. It was pitch black, just his luck. Any other night...any other FREAKIN' night, but no she chooses this night. Why!?

_Damn it all to hell!_

He didn't want to say anything to her that day, because he thought it would be nothing, but a demon scent was on the island. But today the scent was growing stronger and the air was thick in a demon's scent. But now he couldn't smell whether it was closer or farther away. Tonight was the night of the new moon...

The night he lost his demon powers, and became human.

He couldn't see as well in the dark as he usually could. It pissed him off, this human state. He just wanted to sleep through it, for once, but no...and his human emotions were so powerful right now. He was almost afraid of what would happen if Kagome was here.

_'Maybe I shouldn't go find her...it might be more disastrous if I did..'_

But he tredged on, following the footprint in the sand she had left. It wasn't easy to follow them either, the sand was so dark and the imprints were hard to distinguish. But eventually the stars became brighter or something, or his eyes became more accustomed to the dark, in any event, he could see a little better. He followed the imprints of little Kagome feet in the sand, careful not to be lead off track.

But a voice so musical stopped him dead on. The lyrics so entrancing, and the voice so completely perfect, he completely stopped, and stood up. Even without his dog ears, he could hear the voice beautiful as a violin. The silhouettes of chords dancing up her wide range, the pitch blending perfectly in the cool air. Soft as kitten's breath, the voice humbly entered its solo. Music to his ears was an understatement, it was as if everything in the world stopped for this one moment, this one sliver of time, to listen to perfection.

He followed the velvet sound, taking in the atmosphere she created. Each moment was like a sip of fine wine, thirst quenching and mind calming. He neared towards her, completely mesmerized with her presence. He finally caught glimpse of her, sitting on a rock, staring up at the sky. She was on her back, her arms spread out. Her white dress was easy to see as it waved delicately in the dark, inky night.

"..All the little pieces, falling, shattered... shards of me, too sharp to put, back together...too small to matter...but big enough to cut me into so many little pieces... If I try to touch her, I bleed...I bleed...and I breathe, I breathe...no more..." (breathe no more, evanescence -personal obsession-)

How could she understand that pain. That broken twist of fate that life had brought him, to be a hanyou, and to be unloved. She understood, completely, how it felt to be him. His heart split in two, one side daring him to talk to her, the other half knowing the pain of rejection. Her wonderful voice, the soul clenching lyrics, and her beauty radiating off her, she was a celestial being in his eyes. Yearning for her, he stepped closer, afraid his silent steps would be heard.

Her long tendrils of hair floated in the wind, the folds of her dress dancing. He now realized she was dancing as she sang, her invisible partner leading her in perfect grace. But she floated in darkness, looking like a ghost in her long white dress. She turned towards where he was crouching, and he caught sight of her face. It sent a cold shiver down his heart..

In her eyes, he saw Kikyo, staring deadly to the world. The coldness in those eyes, the complete lack of Kagome in them, it was enough to scare him. He remembered waking up from himself, looking down at her cold dead eyes, never to see them alive again. The haunting feeling it gave him, to see it in the rays of sunshine themselves, Kagome. But in an instant it was gone, replaced with a slow, sad smile. She whispered something to herself, inaudible in his current state. She stopped dancing, the light frills of her dress falling limply to her sides.

"Inuyasha..." she spoke...

_She was...pretending to dance with me? _

He stood up, knowing his form would not be seen in this inky dark. But he hit a nearby bush, and created a scurrying sound.

Kagome immediately turned towards him, staring right at him. He froze..

Her face became a mixture of fear and surprise. She squeaked, her face shrouded in the fear he knew was present. She opened her mouth to speak, but was completely immortalized by fear.

"Who's...th..ere.." She spoke in a loud whisper.

He moved towards her, and she ran. He couldn't run as fast in human form, but he could run faster than she could. He felt awkward running as a human, it was heavy, and he didn't have the control he usually had. He wasn't weightless; he didn't have the strength to feel that way. He quickened his pace, using a sudden burst of adrenaline to power his flight. He reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back and into his chest.

"Aiiiii! Let me go! Please let me go!"

"Calm down Kagome, its just me."

She stopped fidgeting, and looked at him blankly, then shouted, "GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!!"

She slapped his face, trying to get away from his grip. She pried her left hand away, and continued to bash him.

"KAGOME! It's me! Don't you get it!"

Suddenly a deep growl was heard, and both turned to look at the noise. A pair of eyes floated in the bushes, fangs the size of daggers gleamed...

"Get behind me, now..."

She did as she was told, assuming the man to be a savior in disguise. She studied his long black hair, and his clothes..

_INUYASHA!?_

Suddenly the growling demon sprang out, a giant cat demon. Flames surrounded its tail, giving light into the surrounding area. Its black stripes ripped down its body, and it growled a fierce battle cry. Inuyasha stood blankly at the cat, "Kirara?"

The cat looked at him, and then a sudden burst of flames surrounded its entire body. Once the smoke cleared, a tiny kitten was in place of the tiger of a cat. It meowed softly, "Mrow.."

Kagome looked at the kitten, "What happened?"

Inuyasha sighed, "Show yourself Sango..."

Kagome watched in awe as a beautiful woman walked out of the darkness. Her skin tight cat suit was decorated with magenta colored armor, a sword at her side, and a giant boomerang tied to her back. Kagome was shocked, what was the boomerang for?

"Who are you!? Name yourselves!"

"We were on the other side of the island the entire fucking time!!!"

"I have no affiliation with you, how do you know my name!?"

"One word, Miroku."

Her eyes shot open, and her face was in shock, "Mi..Miroku?"

"I'm Inuyasha, the captain..."

"But the captain is a..." Her eyes widened in understanding.

Kagome stared at them both blankly, "What?"

"Kagome, "Inuyasha spoke, "This is Sango..."

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"I thought I smelt something familiar in the wind. So it was you, Kirara?" The small cat purred, and Inuyasha scratched its head. It stretched its neck out to Inuyasha's lightly scratching claws. Sango watched him, studying him for any abnormalities. He was a little edgy, but then again, it was his night of the month. She kept her attention mainly focused on Kagome. The girl seemed innocent enough, but there seemed to be more to her than what she was giving away. Her movements were too fluid, too practiced. Her steps were small and quick, like that of a hunter's.

_I'm surprised Inuyasha hasn't caught on to her; she's definitely more than meets the eyes._

Kagome was beautiful, in a different way from most women her age. She was shorter than most, with a small torso and long legs. Most had a long torso and equally long legs, making them much taller than she. Her brown eyes were giving off a hazel essence, as if shinning from the back. Long wisps of brownish black hair tumbled down her face, her pink lips small, but full. She was gorgeous, when you took the time to examine her.

"Sango, thank you for the meal, and your hospitality, I'm sure its not easy finding people in the middle of the night and taking them in," Kagome replied in a pleasant voice.

"It's not as big as you make it out to be. Honestly, I was just doing my nightly rounds before I head to bed, and I happened to run into an old friend."

"Feh," Inuyasha stated blankly.

Sango giggled, "You're just mad because you lost to me."

"I did not lose," he stated bluntly.

"You lost all your money to me!"

"You cheated!"

Sango sighed, he was a hopeless case.

"What happened?" Kagome asked.

"Me, Miroku, Kohaku, Kaede, and Inuyasha played a tournament of Hijiri 8the game in the third movie8 . Kohaku won, but when me and Inuyasha were up, he insists to this day that I cheated."

"You did…"

Kagome smiled at the conversation. It made her remember the ones Inuyasha and her had in the beginning of their voyage.

_I forgot how long ago that was, two months? It seems like I've been with him for a lifetime. _

She glanced over at him, watching his angry face glow red. It made her smile, for it was a comical fury. Sango's face was calm, although slightly irritated. Kirara kept glancing from one to the other, her voice mute with an incomprehensible expression.

"What is all the ruckus?" A voice called into the hut.

All four looked to the old woman in the doorway, a stunned look on her face, "Sango, who are these people?"

Sango blushed, embarrassed by her behavior, "You remember Inuyasha, of the Wind Scar."

Kaede nodded her head in understanding, "Ah yes, a hanyou as I remember. And you've brought another young maiden, what is your name, make I ask?"

"Kagome Higurashi," She stated a little dazed and confused.

A look of shock ran over her face, and she glanced over at Inuyasha, "Ye came for the map, didn't you."

Inuyasha grinned a beautiful sideways smirk, "And if I did?"

"Ye are a terrible fool, ye should know better than that after your fiasco with Naraku!"

"I forgot Kagura was watching," He said sarcastically.

He ran his fingers through his midnight black hair, his grey blue eyes shining. His playful smirk toyed with her heart, cutting away at it like glass.

"Well, if she's known all about this fiasco, then why didn't she…COME TO GET ME ON HER OWN FREAKIN' ISLAND!? She knew, didn't she?"

Kaede stood silent, "I owe ye no explanation of the Lady's way."

"I want her down here, NOW!"

Kaede sighed, "If ye must see her that bad, then go to the castle yourself."

Sango glanced over at Kagome, and gave her an almost pitiful stare.

"I feel sorry for you; **you** have to put up with him everyday."

Kagome smiled, and shook her head, "He's not that bad, once you get used to him."

She tilted her head and gave a smile, and immediately Sango knew she had feelings for that mongrel. She couldn't blame her; Inuyasha was attractive in that exotic way. Even now, he was exotic. With the long black hair, and piercing grey blue eyes, he was still attractive. But when his actual appearance was seen, no one could deny that he was one of the best looking people they'd ever seen. With draping silver locks of tangled hair, and the glowing liquid gold eyes, he was a figure carved by angels.

Not that that was her choice of man, she preferred charming and witty men like-dare she say- Miroku…

His violet gray eyes and feathery locks of tangled black made her melt into a puddle of mush. Even when he tied them back with a band, he was still drop dead handsome. It made her heart hurt, missing him and all him beauty. His gleaming gold sheath tied at his hip, the familiar crest of the handle. She had never seen the equal of Miroku's sword. But the gold against the blue of his clothes, it was stunning.

Suddenly she blushed, realizing what a fool she was to indulge herself in thinking about Miroku. She reminded herself that Miroku wasn't interested in a simple girl like herself, plus it was against her morals to go with a man like him. He was a dirty minded creep, who just happened to have a smile that made her go weak at the knees…

Oh God! He was coming here! Of course! She frantically panicked in her head.

_Miroku, here! Oh no! What if he sees me, in my uniform! Or comes to visit me while I'm working! What if he…_

Too many ifs, so many possibilities. Her breath tried to make its way in long clear strides, although it wasn't working out as well as first planned. Her whole being, once calm in these situations, was now aflutter. She bit her bottom lip in frustration, completely dazed by the new experience of confusion.

She watched Inuyasha argue with Kaede for a few minutes more, then leave the hut at easily as he came. Kagome came up to her, "Thank you, Sango, for you hospitality."

She followed Inuyasha, where ever he was going. But Sango had a feeling, it wouldn't be their last meeting.

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"Inuyasha, where are you going!?" Kagome cried breathlessly.

"To talk to that scheming witch, Kagura!" Inuyasha huffed as he climbed the hill to get to the palace.

"Inuyasha, stop please! Come on, it's nearly sun rise, and we've been up since I don't know how long. Could we stop and rest, please!"

He turned around, "If you're so tired, stop following me and rest! I don't need you clawing at my heels, woman!"

"You're a jerk! All I do is care, and it bothers you! Are you too good for me, or am I just an inferior human whose existence is irrelevant to you! Forgive me for being a pathetic human, but if being a hanyou or a demon means being like you, then forget it!"

Her words stung, like salt in a wound. He sighed, "You know…I don't feel like that about you."

"No I don't. That's how you always treat me, how you always have treated me. How am I supposed to know you feel different if I have nothing else to go by?"

He grimaced, grinding his teeth together in disgust of himself. He swung around, staring her straight in the eyes, trying to get himself across, "You are not inferior to me, you surpass me. I'd be a moron to think that way about you."

Her brown eyes shined hazel in the morning sun. Her wonderful petal lips looked soft as they had the first time he'd let temptation take over him. The loose wisps of hair that framed her face were especially beautiful today, once again enhanced by the morning sun. He reached out to her perfect face, feeling the soft, smooth skin under his fingertips. She didn't squirm, or try to stop him, she just stared at him, her hazel eyes barring into his soul. Sunlight hit his back, and he knew it was time…

He felt his demon powers flood into him, as the mysterious wind flowed from under him. His hair shot upwards, and his body pulsed. He let go of Kagome as the transformation began. His human ears receded and his dog ears began to come out. His claws returned, as well as his fangs. The wind blew away the black in his hair, washing it away to show the fresh silver. He blinked once, and his eyes turned to liquid gold. Suddenly the wind died down, and his hair fell gently to his back.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said with awe.

He returned to staring at her, "Where was I?"

"I don't remember."

He smiled, "Are you tired?"

"Yes."

He knelt down, "I'll carry you."

Kagome blushed, "No, that's ok, I'll be fine."

"Kagome, it's not a big deal, get on."

She looked at him hesitantly, but walked towards him, and positioned herself on his back.

"Are you sure this is safe-"

He jumped up into the air, higher than she'd ever been in her life. The rush of adrenaline was a certain shock, as her heart leaped into her throat. She suspended in the air for a moment, and then realized how powerful Inuyasha was. To be able to leap this high, he must have the strength of 50 men. She must be as delicate as rice paper to him, why did he bother with her?

She finally realized she was holding her breath as they gently hit the ground. He just clear at least 500 ft in one leap, and they were at the front doors of Lady Kagura's castle. And Inuyasha wanted to be the one to knock.

Which he did…literally…

"Hey! Open up Kagura, I know you're in there."

Kagome thought he was knocking on a wall, but when she looked up, she saw two 50 ft doors soaring up to the ceiling. She let her mouth drop in awe, as the one door creaked open for them. Inuyasha pushed it opened more, and grabbed her arm, leading her in.

"Listen, stay close to me, and don't let go of my arm," He whispered into her ear.

She nodded, soon realizing the hell of the situation. They were literally suspended in air, the only thing they could step on were currents of air that were possibly solid enough to walk on. Her eyes couldn't focus enough on the air currents to see though, but she knew Inuyasha's could. But that didn't mean she wasn't afraid. She immediately clamped herself to Inuyasha's waist, refusing to let loose.

Sensing her fear, he pulled her close to him, "I won't let anything happen to you Kagome, I swear."

"Mhmm…"

He hesitantly took a step, and succeeded. He followed down the path to Kagura's lair, where he knew she would be. He placed his arm around Kagome, and led her towards the suspended doors. He could hear the pounding of her heart and the shortness of her breath. She was afraid beyond reason.

"I've got you…"

"I know…"

The doors were still a ways, and he could feel the darkness of the abyss they were standing on seep into him. The way it was made, was that what they were walking on were currents that Kagura places down. She could cut them off at any moment, and they would fall to their deaths. Of course, Kagura was always too curious for her own good.

"We're almost there Kagome, keep it up."

She nodded, and continued to trek along. Usually she wouldn't be so afraid, but when you're walking on nothing but AIR, its a little nerve wrenching. She wanted to be back outside, where there was solid ground. But she couldn't leave Inuyasha to do this alone, she wouldn't let herself. In spite of the fear that coursed through her, she knew she had to keep going.

"Kagome, you can let go now…"

She opened her eyes, and saw she was standing on a white marble floor. She let go of Inuyasha's waist, blushing with embarrassment. She looked around at the room. There were waterfalls everywhere that emptied into glass basins filled with tropical fish. The walls were a light blue, and there was a throne with a woman sitting in it, a girl standing next to her.

"I see you've finally realized where you were, Inuyasha."

"You are a bitch Kagura, you know that!"

She smiled, "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"You know what I came for, the map; give me the map and the book."

"I'll give you the map, but even I don't know where the book is."

Inuyasha growled, "Damn it, Kagura, you know the book is most important."

"I gave it away, to an old friend. She hid it somewhere on the island, I don't know where."

Inuyasha snarled, and took out a sword from his hip, "Kagura, I mean it, give it to me."

She hmphed, and reached into her kimono, and threw a rolled up piece of paper at him, "That's all I have. You'll have to ask Kaede where the book is."

"Kagome get the paper," he spoke.

"Aw, you still don't trust me."

"No…"

Kagome did as she was told, and picked up the scroll of paper. She backed up to Inuyasha, where he protectively put his arm around her waist. In the midst of it all, she liked how protective of her he was being.

"Inuyasha, I'm hurt. You still don't trust me, and after all I've done for you."

"Kagura, you tried to kill me."

"Yes, but that was Naraku's fault."

"Yes, I see now you were telling the truth, that doesn't mean I trust you."

"Fine," she said bored.

"I'll be back another time."

Inuyasha back out, and ran through the doors. He jumped on the air current, and glided from place to place to get to the other side quicker. He knew Kagura would try to kill Kagome is he wasn't careful. He wouldn't give her that chance. He knew the faster he got to the other side, the safer Kagome was. His feet finally met the solid ground, and not a moment too soon. Kagura had shut down all the wind currents, only seconds after he reached the other side.

"Come on Kagome…"

"You have dangerous friends…"

"No, she's just jealous of you."

"Why," she asked confused.

He tried to find the right words to answer her question, "Because you're with me, and she would give anything to find someone to be with her."

She blushed for what seemed like the millionth time, "But we're not…together together, just friends…right."

He wanted to say 'If that's what you want,' but knew better than to lead her on like that, "I wouldn't think so…"

She sighed, "Of course…you wouldn't."

She couldn't say what came over her just then, but suddenly her heart hurt. She looked at him, wishing to God he would like her back for just a moment.

Suddenly she felt his arm drape around her shoulders, and she looked up at him, "I do too like you…"

His face was in a blush, and she smiled, "I'm glad…"

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YAY new chapter. Sorry for the long update, just birthday stuff going on (16 woot! ), boyfriend stuff, and new computer stuff. If you haven't heard yet, I have anew story called Tacite Love, Unforgotten enemies. Its gonna be in a traditional setting, you know, feudal era, goshinboku…Sit…all that good stuff. Anyway, its up in my profile so if you wanna check it out, I have chapter one up. Also is anyone else not getting emails about reviews or updates, or is it just me. Also, I'm looking for a beta reader and if anyone knows anyone or is interested themselves, could you tell me so we could work something out? Hey, did you notice I have no spelling errors this time? Hurray for Microsoft word!

Reviewers:

InuKagKisses- I didn't say I would write it, I said do you want to write it and I'll post it for you. At least, that's what I thought I said…

Inuyasha Lover 813

MoonDemoness468

Argent Deus

Black Juju

neko-hanyou12

luver-of-horses

Ichiru-GoLuckyHanyou

StarSapphirex

RoOtin4Kagome

fluffy's love

Sexy Neko Gal

ash

xsachi

angeldiane

Once more, I luv you guy bushels and bushels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Review please!

toodles


	12. Arrival and Goodbyes

Congratulations to Star Sapphirex who betaed this chapter! Her comments (I think) made this chapter so much better, so you better go thank her by reviewing her stories (which rock). Thank her!

Chp 12

"Sango…" Miroku whispered softly as he gazed upon the crescent bay. The white blue waters rushed along the tan shoreline, the sea foam building up along the edges. Seaweed all around like fields of grass, the driftwood scattered from some past storm, the familiar surrounding giving him a feeling of security. He could see the tops of houses on the horizon, and a small part of him was reminded that Sango was there. Happiness filled him, and he let out the breath he had been holding.

"Land ho, mates. Tie up the riggers and fold up the sails, we're docking here for repairs and supplies. Enjoy your vacation; there'll be plenty work waiting for you when you get back."

The crew roared a huge shout of hurray, the ship vibrating with an amusing shake. Miroku smiled, and hopped off board, sinking foot deep into the sand. His hand went to his side, and ripped it out of his sheath, "Find the captain, and bring him back here! If you happen upon Lady Kagome, you're welcome to bring her back too!"

Once more, the crew roared with enthusiasm.

While they started packing up the ship, Miroku decided to sneak off first. Not to be rude, but he could hardly contain the excitement he felt for being here. He could practically feel her in his arms now, her soft hair streaming out in the wind, her magenta brown eyes bucked up from her radiant smile. The tight fitting black of her uniform would show off her womanly curves, proudly displaying all of her beautiful body.

He grabbed a rope off the ground, and tied it to the railings of the bow. He looked over the side, to make sure nothing was in the way of his landing, and swung over the side. After a few moments of being suspended in mid air, his feet were planted deep into the sand. His legs were used to this impact by now, and he hardly felt the effects a usual man would feel. He smiled, and tossed the rope aside. He followed the shoreline till he found the docks, which were of course, too small to fit the _Wind Scar_. He walked closer to the docks, watching their sea worn wood shimmer with salty sprays. He marched up to the cabin house, where the dock master might be.

"You there, sir," Miroku looked around to find an older man yelling for him.

"Yes?"

"Whose ship might they be? That taint no regular ship, I reckon it be the Wind Scar."

"You are correct sir, it is the Wind Scar."

The old man smiled, his grin full of rotten teeth, "We been waiting for that captain of yours to get 'ere. The Lady wished to see him, although, now that the seas 'ave calmed, I'm sure its been addressed."

Miroku looked at him, curiosity filling his gaze, "What do you mean?"

A younger boy who was untying knots near the edge of the dock answered for him, "The Sea was rough for days, while the Lady waited for the hanyou. When she's impatient or angry, the water around the island gets rough, and the fish swim away. No one can come in, and no one can get out."

Although he had been here before, "Why would she do that? How can she do that, she controls the wind, not the water."

The boy smirked, "The wind controls the water. I thought all good sailors knew that."

"But why?"

The old man spoke up, "She created the island, it is an extension of 'erself, when she be happy it flourishes, when she be sad it rains, when she be angered the storms come, when she be jealous the wind dies."

"So the island is controlled by her emotions?"

"More or less."

Miroku took this into careful consideration, "Thank you," he tossed a few coins over to the younger boy, who was told by the elderly man to put them in the cash box.

"A tip, I assume."

"Of course, I would never have intended it to be anything else."

He walked off, towards the fishermen's village at the base of the island. The Island was shaped with two crescent bays, on where everyone lived, and the other was abandoned. He'd never been there himself, he'd never had the time to explore the abandoned part of the island and map it out, he bet Sango had. He was reminded of the last voyage here, which had lasted only a week or so. He never got the chance to get to know the island as well as he had wanted to, and he knew the opportunity was well within reach.

As he recollected memories of his last voyage here, he also remembered memories of Sango's butt. The soft supple curve of her rump was as mouthwatering as fine roast. The feel was as soft as heaven's clouds, while the perky firmness was springy in a certain sense.

_Oh, my dear Sango…your bottom is mine…_

He rubbed his hands together, remembering the soft flesh that was his definition of Sango.

"You are a dirty son of a bitch, Miroku." A familiar voice said behind him.

"You know me all too well, Captain."

He turned to meet Inuyasha's amber eyes, glaring at him with a piercing malice, "Do you know what I went through!? Do you know what she put me through!? It's the fastest ship in the whole damn ocean, and you couldn't make it here sooner!?"

Miroku watched at Inuyasha's eyes turned a sickening shade of orange from the fury in his eyes. Miroku half expected him to start foaming at the mouth.

"Calm yourself, Captain, you were here a grand total of 5 days. It couldn't have been that bad."

"She's driving me crazy! She won't stop doing stuff, like singing and dancing and shit. I can't leave her alone, cause then she wanders off and almost kills herself by doing something stupid. Then she shows me coconuts, COCONUTS damn it! I know what a coconut is, who in hell doesn't know what a coconut is. You know what a coconut is, right! I know what a coconut is, who in hell doesn't know what a coconut is. It's a nut plus the word coco, what the hell is wrong with her? IT'S A COCONUT!"

"Yes Inuyasha, we are aware of that fact…"

"Damn straight."

He marched off without another word, and went looking for that bar he saw last time he was here.

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Kagome stood lone, watching the tide come up above her ankles. The crystal clear ocean water was as translucent as glass; she could still see every speck of sand under the waves. The folds of her white skirt darkened as the waves splashed against her hem. The looked down, wiggling her toes in the sand and shells. She smiled, and lifted her skirt out of the water, running away from the flood of water at her heels. She looked up, to find a blushing Inuyasha. She felt a sick draining feeling of embarrassment, and all the blood vanished from her face. Fortunately, the embarrassment was soon replaced by anger, and she clenched her hand into a fist, the white knuckle response making her hand go a little numb.

"What are you doing?"

He looked her up and down, before shaking his head, "Nothing."

She wrinkled her nose, "Liar."

"So."

The wind played with her hair, and even when she was angry, she was beautiful. He stumbled down a sand hill, not ever taking her eyes off her. He staggered towards her, then stopped, and just stared at her.

"Kagome, you should wear shorter skirts."

She blushed furiously, "You pervert!"

She reached out to slap him, but even in his intoxicated state, he caught it as if a reflex. Her eyes widened, and she struggled to get out of his strong clasp on her. He sighed, and pulled her closer to him.

"Let me go you drunken fool!"

He didn't let her hand go, but loosened his grip a bit. He leaned down towards her, "Demon's don't get drunk."

"You're a half demon, which makes you able to get drunk."

"I'm not drunk, just tipsy."

"Same thing, you pervert."

She scowled at him, not wanting to be near him right now. He smelled of old whiskey and ale, and the hazy look in his eyes was not his best look. She felt pity for him, this drunken fool of a man.

"You need to get back to Sango's hut."

"Ship's here…"

Her face perked up, "The ship is here?"

"Mhmm, Miroku was looking for you."

Kagome sighed, "It'll have to wait. You need to get somewhere that you won't get in a fight or kill yourself without meaning to."

He still hadn't let go of her arm, and she could feel it getting clammy, but a little part of her noticed she didn't want him to let go. She reached up awkwardly with her left hand, and tried to pry his fingers away. After a few failed attempts, she sighed, and stared at the ground until he let go. But suddenly, she felt his fingers gently lift her chin closer to him. She looked up at his face, seeing no trace of the drunken state she'd seen before. But a closer look showed evidence of a haze in his usually clear golden eyes. Even cloudy, his eyes were beautiful, two molten pools of liquid gold dancing within the boundaries of his iris.

"Kagome…" he began.

"What," she said in a sort of squeak.

"You are so beautiful…"

Normally, she would have been flattered, and if this had been a few months ago, she might have taken his words to heart, but in his drunken state, even Miroku must look 'beautiful'.

"Come on, Inuyasha, let's get you home."

"No." He pulled her to his chest, which didn't smell like whiskey anymore, but rather the manly, slightly salty smell that always inhabited his shirts. She was confused, wasn't he drop dead drunk just a moment ago. Why did he seem sober, why did he seem sincere. She looked up once more, into his death trap eyes, watching the crystal clear eyes swim in twin pools of liquid gold. Her heart stopped, and hopped into her throat. His hand pressed her back, so she was closer to his chest. She felt her heart beat quicken, and then stop, and then race again. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered, caged inside her, pounding to get out.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the butterflies blocked her air. The sinking pit in her stomach made her heart feel sick for him. She was caught in his eyes, unable to look away, unable to blink, unable to break his concentration on her.

"You were never drunk. Were you?" She whispered.

"I had a few drinks. The effects don't last long enough for us to feel much though."

That explained the lack of alcohol stench. But it didn't explain why.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"I never said I was drunk."

"But you acted it."

She ripped herself away from him, no longer intimidated by his presence, "Why did you lie to me!?"

"Kagome I-"

"Don't give me any excuses, you liar. First you come up to me, acting drunk, then you won't let go of my arm, then you call me beautiful, then you tell me the whole thing was a big joke. Well haha, you're so funny, it's so funny to act drunk and scare people who care about you!"

"Kagome, I never meant to-"

"You are a jerk, a liar, and you are a perverted moron!"

"God, shut up!"

He crammed his lips against her, trying to get his point across. She shrieked under his lips, and tried to wriggle away. She pulled herself away, only be yanked back into place by his unordinary strong arms. She refused to enjoy this, refused to enjoy him ever again. She still fought him, but he did notice, much less fierce. Of course, by now his lips were just trying to stay on her face.

"Kagome, stop squirming!"

"You are a pervert, get away from me!"

"Damn it, Kagome!" He pushed her face away from his, but didn't let go of her arms.

"Just stop ok, and listen to me! I won't have words shoved into my mouth, not by you! I never lied to you, I never said I was drunk, I told you the truth, I was tipsy. But at the rate by body gets rid of alcohol, the effects don't last long. I told you you were beautiful, because you are beautiful, and I'm sick of lying to myself by saying you're not. I've never met a woman as beautiful as you, ever. Not in all my travels, not in all the bars, or gentleman's clubs, or anything. I'm not gonna pretend I don't have feelings for you, because everyone knows damn well I do."

"Then why are you telling me now!?" She yelled, "You had chances before, many in fact. You could have told me the night we kissed, or when we were alone, or any other time. But-"

"Don't you think I tried? I tried a thousand times to tell you how I felt, but I was always beat down in the end by the fact I was…"

"You were what!?" She said with anger.

"I'm a fucking half demon, a hanyou, the scum under your feet. It's not in my destiny to have someone like you by my side, but here you are, arguing with me like nothing's ever happened between us, when it has! I'm confused, and I don't know what the fuck to do. On one hand I could take you for myself, and not listen to anything anyone else says. On the other hand, I'll never be able to give you what you deserve. On another hand, it's not right, for a hanyou to ever think of someone on terms of caring about them. I don't know who to believe, what to do, or who to side with." He was talking out loud to no one, not even her anymore. All the thoughts in his head were tumbling out, as if no longer held in capacity by his mind.

He pushed her away, "I've got the map, to the chest. I need to follow that destiny, before I even think of following another."

"Inuyasha…"

"We set sail tomorrow, and we're not coming back. You're staying here…"

The moment was a mixture of hatred, love, and a bit of lust. Hatred, because he couldn't control her; love, because she wanted to tell him all things she felt about him; Lust, because finally she knew he had feelings too.

"I'm not gonna listen to you, Inuyasha," She said calmly, but firmly.

"You don't have a choice. You're not going with us, you'll stay here. You'll have no problems here, you already love it. You'll stay with Sango and Kaede, who will take care of you. Kagura will watch over you, and I won't mess up your life anymore."

"Inuyasha I don't-"

"Goodbye." He finished the argument he knew would come by pushing her into the water, which had now reached their ankles. He bounded away, in the way only he could. This pain was unimaginable, incomparable to anything he'd ever felt. God, his heart burned, he wanted to go back, and take it back. But what purpose would that serve, he would have to deal with Kagome, and after all that, she would not just take it in stride, she would ask questions, and get emotional. She would make him regret his decision.

And he refused to do that.

His decision was the right one. Dangers would be following them throughout the whole journey, and he would not submit her to that. He would not submit himself to that, no way, no way in hell. Call him a coward, what ever it took to escape his pain. He'd dealt enough with it, all his life. No matter how much he loved Kagome, he could not fight the pain anymore. She was too much, too wonderful and terrible at the same time. He could imagine them, years from now, together and happy. But that was not his destiny, and it never would be.

It was not in his power, to love her.

It had happened before, someone got too close, and he had killed her himself. Even thought it was unintentional, he still had that thing inside him. Until that thing was gone, Kagome was not safe with him. He wouldn't put her in harm's way just so he could have her, for he loved her far too much to ever do that.

Which was why it made the pain hurt so much worse, that he had ever imagined.

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I'm sorry for the long update! So much I had to do, and with a band concert, a new beta (who did an awesome job), studying for exams, a new trumpet (yay for Bach Omegas!), and just all around lifeness.

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	13. Guess what Kagome can do!

Chp 13

"Goodbye…" and he pushed her into the water. She was in shock. Time seemed to be at a standstill. She reached out, trying to regain her footing, unsuccessfully, and she began to falter. She splashed into the midnight blue water; the spray making her wet all over. She sat there, and watched as he grew smaller, and smaller. In a second, he was gone. She tried to swallow the pit in her throat, but it refused to fall. She felt the tears stream down her face, and the cries escape her lips. She balled her body up, crying into her knees. She heaved huge sobs, her body shaking tirelessly.

She cursed him, hated him, and damned him to the bloody depths of hell. She pretended to not want to follow him, and pretended to not want to cry into his chest. She couldn't pretend that she hadn't forgiven him. So soon she was to repent him, with no second thoughts to the consequences. But she loathed the bastard, and would have beaten him to the ground with her pain. She wanted to scream into his ears, make them bleed. She wanted to show him the feeling of having your heart ripped out and shoved back at you. But already…she had forgiven him.

Perhaps, if she had gone on hating him, her life would have turned out different, it wouldn't have taken the course it did. Maybe she would have lived a normal life, living on this island forever in peace. Peace, but not necessarily happiness. Wasn't a guaranteed life better than a gamble? Was safety more important than love? Was he as important to her as she believed him to be?

He was the one person she thought of 24/7. She loved being around him, his witty jokes, his breathtaking smirks, his indulgent kisses…

God, was she that smitten. Had she truly fallen so deeply in love with him? It hurt, more than any mortal wound, when he said those things. Would it have hurt, if the words had come from someone like Miroku? She knew it wouldn't have. But…that jerk…

God she wanted to hate him, she wanted to loathe him. She wanted to have the guts to say she didn't care about that son of a bitch. But it would all be lies and she never had been one for lying. She wanted to find courage within herself, to brave these fears of rejection. Did she have the will to? Any idiot knew she did, and she was no idiot, so she knew she had plenty of will.

But how…how would she do it? She knew she could fight, she had proven it a thousand times in the past, beating even her own master. She knew how to handle a variety of weapons, but alone she was no match against a hundred demons. She knew no human could fight that many demons and she didn't want to hurt them…

She stepped up, lifting her self out of the water. The water dripped off her as she rose out of the sea, the white beams of moonlight shinning off her white dress. She looked at the horizon, remembering how easily Inuyasha had left. She pursed her lips, wishing she hadn't fought him off. The wind began to blow softly, making goose bumps rise on her arms. She clutched her hand to her heart, and breathed in deeply.

She chose the gamble, the only way she could ever be with him. As stubborn and hard-headed as he was, they were perfect together. She wanted to be with him, as hurt as she was over the whole situation. The sinking feeling in her heart made the world spin, and she wanted to fall to her knees and cry again. The dizziness made her stomach churn. She held her stomach, but refused to fall to her knees. She wasn't going to let her fears get the best of her. Not this time…not anytime.

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Sango watched the entire thing, from start to finish. That bastard Inuyasha, hurting Kagome as he did. It made her blood boil, how he treated her like shit. She clenched her fist, and slammed it in the dirt as that ass of a captain walked away from the only person who ever did his life any good. She growled, the frustration burning her up! Damn that son of a bitch! She had never been so infuriated by someone before, especially not him.

She stared at Kagome, watching her pick herself up, only to fall again. Her look of determination was engraved in her face, worn proudly as a medal on a soldier. She slid down the hill, and ran towards the weeping woman.

"Kagome!" She yelled.

She whipped her head around, her tear stained face dripping with remorse, "Sango?" She asked in a quiet question.

"Kagome! I'm so sorry. I was looking for you, and then I came up on you two…I'm sorry."

Kagome didn't look mad. She looked almost happy.

"Sango…will you help me?"

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Kagome tied a sword to her hip, letting it rest in its familiar place. It felt like years since she had a sword at her side, or any weapon for that matter. She unsheathed the sword, watching its shining silver blade play on her reflection. She felt the katana on her back, pressing against her spine with a sense of familiarity. She flipped her hair back, tying it securely with a band. She glanced at Sango as she placed a boomerang on the holder on her back. Sango wore the slayer outfit that she wore when she first met Kagome. The cat Kirara was at her side, purring anxiously for the battle ahead.

"Kagome, are you ready?"

"Yes."

They glanced at each other, nodding in agreement.

"Wait!"

They turned around to see Kaede walking into the room. She was holding a necklace, black beads with white fangs. Kagome stared at the necklace, confused.

"Kagome, this is for ye. It is a necklace of subjugation, to harness a soul of any of your choosing. But I think it might come in hand for Inuyasha. His soul needs guidance, and if ye succeed in getting these beads around his neck, then he shall be bound to thee."

"I don't understand."

Kaede put the beads around Kagome's neck, "With those beads on, ye are under my control. You must conjure up a word to use in order to harness the bead's powers. For instance…BAKA!"

She heard a piercing screech, and then felt her body slam to the floor. Her face smashed against the wood, breaking it. She felt the pain rip through her chin and cheekbone, spreading up into the deepest regions of her skull. It echoed in her brain, like slamming a metal bar against a pole.

"That is how ye subdue a reckless hanyou."

Kagome was in immense pain, she felt like her face had been shattered. Kaede walked over, and helped her up, "Don't worry, ye are fine. The pain will subside in a few moments."

Kagome rubbed her sore face, finding the pain already gone. All that was left was a few sore spots left on her cheekbone, "That is powerful…"

Kaede reached up and removed the beads, "Only the person in control, can remove the beads. Not even Inuyasha has the strength to lift them."

Kaede opened Kagome's hands, and placed the beads in them, "I wish ye the best of luck, and most happiness."

She walked over to Sango, who already had tears in her eyes, "My Sango, we both know that this shall be our last meeting for quite some time."

"That's only if we can't find a way to stow away on the ship."

"Ye will, child. I have no doubt in your skills. I only wish I could do more for ye."

Kaede took out a box from a shelf, and handed it to Sango, "It was your mother's favorite dress. I know ye hate dresses, but it would be more suitable to catch the eye of a certain first mate with a dress, than a warrior's suit."

Sango wiped away the tears, taking the box, "Thank you…"

Kaede walked over, and handed Kagome her own box, "This was my best dress at your age, I'm sure ye shall make good use of it. Perhaps a you may use it so a certain captain sees his mistake in leaving ye here on the island."

"I'm sure I'll find a way…"

Kaede nodded, her worn face bearing twin streams of tears, "Now go! Ye must get there soon. The ship is to set sail in less than an hour."

Kagome took Sango's boxed dress and put it on her back, copying Sango's idea of how to carry a Hiraikotsu. She tied them with a sash from her belt, and nodded to Sango, "Ready."

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(A/n: they are wearing masks and men's clothing)

She looked over to Sango, who was on the other side of the ramp. It was still early morning, and most of the men had returned to the ship. The wind was harsh against their back, blocked by the huge ship behind them. Kagome made the first move, reaching behind her for her katana. She slid it gently out of its case, and then whipped it in front of her. Sango nodded, and reached to her hip for her own blade.

Sango ran underneath the ramp, towards Kagome's side. Kagome nodded, and they began their ascent towards the first deck. There were no guards, which was good news. They quietly walked towards the stairs, where they would get to the upper deck. The doors became a guide, each girl soon realizing that the cheery wood doors were the main hallway, while the oak were branch-offs. As many months as Kagome had been on the ship, she still didn't know it very well. She did know, however, where the staircase was.

Once the spiral staircase came into view, they knew they were in the clear, until that bastard rang the bell that signaled intruders.

The both jumped in their skin, hearing the piercing sound of a bell break through the silence. They turned around, catching glimpse of the first weapon. A broom…

"Get off'a our ship!" A man yelled.

Both women looked at each other, and smiled. Sango went to the left, Kagome to the right. Kagome reached to her back, whipping out a katana. She sliced through the broomstick, cutting it in two. The man growled, and began to throw punches at her. She switched her blade to the defense side and began to block his punched. She ducked under one of his arms, and then popped her foot into his face. She broke his nose no doubt, and he fell to the floor in an unconscious heap.

She smirked, remembering when her sensei told her that she was just a girl, and girls were meant to be pretty, not hold a weapon.

She felt the hard vibrations of a giant man behind her, and she moved to the left. Most men are right-handed, which meant moving to the left gave her a greater advantage of catching the first punch, and pulling him. When she caught the punch, she yanked, and the force from the punch, and the force from her yank were enough to send him flying into a wall, which it did. She smiled, and ran for the stairs.

The yells of men came from behind her, but they weren't loud enough to crowd out her thoughts. She knew Inuyasha would be at the top, which meant he would be waiting to fight her. She had every intention of kicking his ass too. He deserved it, for all he did to her. She bit down on her lip, feeling the imprint of her teeth on the dry skin. She raced up the stairs, feeling the muscles in her legs beginning to wear down already. She wasn't even a eighth of the way there, not good!

She heard a shriek, and felt Sango's boomerang hit her in the back. Luckily, Sango had only thrown it to get it attention, and aside from a bruise beginning to form, she was fine. She watched the boomerang double back, and looked down at Sango.

"What was that for!?"

"I can't keep them off, so you'll be meeting some of them on the stairs."

"Oh great…"

She sighed, and unhooked her sword, knowing she'd need a wider range this time. She paced her running, and tried to calm her breathing. She placed her hand against the vein in her neck, and pressed, trying to stop the blood flow. After about 15 seconds, she faintly heard the sound of screaming men, and she let go of the vein. The fresh blood to her head made her thinking clear and her mind fresh. She jumped up, and watched as the men attacked her. Most of them had make shift weapons, but one or two had the sense to bring a simple katana. She sighed, and began knocking each one off. It wasn't hard, just using the defense side of the blade to knock them across their neck, they will think you've slashed them, and lean away from where the blade hit them. Just give them a little push, and falling over the edge isn't hard. She smiled, and enjoyed the good fight.

She was about halfway there now, and saw men coming toward her from above. She sighed, and sheathed her sword…

The first weapon to come at her, thank goodness, was a mop stick, to which she pulled from the bearer's hands, and knocked him out of her way. She then hopped onto the railing, and began a life or death balancing act. She had always had a good sense on balance, and had usually excelled in these lessons by her sensei. With the mop handle in place of a balancing stick, she could probably make it up a good distance. The men were surprised to see her coming that way, and were soon following her from behind. But what they didn't know was that it is easier to run on a slightly sloping railing, than the stairs.

By the time she got to the 3rd quarter of the railing, the men were beginning to try to trip her. She had to hop over the sticks, which was making it extremely hard to keep her balance. She ended up falling into the stairs again, jumping onto one man.

"Sorry!"

She used her mop stick to nail one guy in the gut, and vaulted off the side of a stair, over another guy. She landed on her knees, and pulled herself up on the stick. She seemed to be in the clear, and she gave a sigh of relief. She continued up the stairs, coming encountering only one other guy. She gave him one to the groin, which had him in pain long enough to let her pass. Finally, she came to the floor where Inuyasha's room was. It became very quiet…

It was well known that Inuyasha was a top-notch fighter, better than those demons (which were easily beaten by a human girl). But it was even better know that Inuyasha had a huge ego, bigger than all those demons put together. The rule was, that you are not allowed to fight an intruder twice. If he defeats you, you let him pass. Inuyasha waited for them at the end, and he would be much more than a fight.

There are two ways to fight, with your instincts or with your mind. When you fight with your mind, you use the opponent's strengths against them, much like Kagome did. But instincts also have their perks. If you learn them well enough, you can sense a move even before it happens, and you move fast enough to avoid it, much like Sango does. Instincts were usually that of a demon, while mind was that of a human. But Inuyasha, being a hanyou, was a perfect blend of both.

But that didn't put Kagome out of the race either. While she had not yet had the chance to use it, she was very witty in swordsmanship. Against a person barehanded, Kagome was a pure mind fighter, but when she had a weapon, she could use not just strengths and weaknesses against them, but also her own instincts. It was how she worked, she needed a weapon to fight, which thankfully she had with her.

She stopped her running, allowing herself a chance to catch her breath. She felt her chest rise up and down, regretting binding her breasts so as not to be recognized. It was making it very hard to do anything except quick short breaths. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the fresh air wash over her. She brushed the bangs out of her face, wiping away the sweat forming on her brow.

"Tired already?" His familiar voice spoke calmly.

She didn't bother to reply, knowing he'd recognize her voice immediately.

"The strong silent type, eh?" He tried, trying to get an idea of her personality, which might give him an idea as to how she fought.

She just turned her face away, listening intently to his movements.

"So you beat all my men, and you won't give me even your name, who knows? I might recruit you."

She bit her lip, trying to continue this silence. But she refused to throw the first punch.

"So, who are you, an old enemy, an old friend, a minion?"

_An old love?_ She thought ironically.

"Fine, I guess I'll just have to kill you against my curious mind…"

_Finally…_

He jumped up, and went straight in her face. He sniffed her, and she growled in defense. She reached to her back for her katana, and whipped it out in front of her. He reached for his own waist, pulling out a sword from his belt.

"Why are you putting a katana against a sword?" he asked.

He was beginning to get really annoying…so screw this.

She sliced the katana blade towards his neck, knowing he would block it easily. She reached backwards; placing her hand on top of the mop handle she used before, and tossed it at him. He sliced it in two, and she used the opportunity to get up and cross her blade against his. She watched his face lose its cool, as he struggled to fight her strength. At the angle she had landed, her whole body weight was against his blade, not just her arm strength. Within moments he regained his footing and pushed her of his blade. She launched into the air, but landed softly on the ground. The strength in her legs was enough to cushion her impact, and also ease the after effects.

He smiled, "Light on your feet, aren't you?"

She felt proud that she had lasted this long, even though she knew Inuyasha was only testing her. Not many people could have gotten this far, even less last this long against Inuyasha. He put the sword in front of him, a smile sprouting on his face. His grip twisted on the handle, and his golden eyes dared her to try again.

She put the katana away, knowing it had served its purpose. She wanted to test the strength of his blade, which she found was just a normal blade, and not his remarkable Tetsusaiga. She was a little disappointed, but knew that against it, she would have no chance. She pulled out Sango's blade from the hilt, placing it in front of her. Sango told her this was the finest blade in the kingdom, but that she had never been one for swords fighting. She was a boomerang person, hands down her favorite weapon.

While Kagome too had never considered the sword her favorite, it was her best. She had always loved archery more, but was always told her true talent laid in swords fighting. As much as this disappointed her in the scheme of weapons, it didn't faze her enough to take away her love of the bow. Even though she only had rare occasion to handle one, she still loved it above all else.

"Come on man! Don't leave me to fight alone!"

She suddenly realized that the ground was no longer stable, and she looked out of the nearby balcony. She saw the sparkling blue ocean against a rising sun, the orange sprays of light reflecting into her eyes.

"We set sail 20 minutes ago…" He said with a smirk.

She began to calculate how long she had been on here. It only seems to be 5 minutes, but with all the excitement time must have gone by fast. She swiped the bangs from her eyes, glaring in false anger. She wanted to play him up a while more, just for kicks.

She began to feel her hot breath stuck inside her ninja mask, the black fabric making it even hotter. She began to feel the burning in her chest from lack of air, and she decided that enough was enough. He could at least know she was a girl…

She reached behind her back, and removed the boxes on her back. She then reached into a slit in the fabric of her shirt and found a knot. She succeeded in untying them, and unbound her breasts. She gasped, enjoying the hearty breaths of air she was able to finally take. She threw the bandages on the floor, and felt her breasts fall into the support of her tank top underneath the black cat suit.

"You're…a girl?"

She rolled her eyes, and removed her blade from its sheath. She whipped it out to the side, then placed both hands on the handle, waiting for the first move. She moved her footing, sliding her feet one after the other, circling the hanyou. Impatience was her worst enemy today, and she soon made the first attack.

He blocked her, but she just striked him repeatedly, each hit easily blocked. She jumped up, trying to get him from above. He tilted his sword horizontally, and blocked her sword, but not her foot. Her leg was outstretched, and she kicked him square in the jaw, sending him flying backwards into a wall. She landed gently on the ground, smiling to herself. She had gotten in a kick, and a good kick too.

She glanced over at him, watching him rub his jaw. She saw the angry look on his face, and saw the glow of his claws.

"So, you want a hands-on-fight little girl?"

He didn't need her silence as answer this time, and began swiping his glowing claws in her direction. She gasped and jumped out of the way of each strike, blocking him at the wrist. She felt one strike get through her defenses, and felt a single claw graze her face. She worried over her mask; she couldn't have herself lose this fight because he found out who she was.

She dared an attack, and nailed him in the cheek. Unfortunately, she was a human against a demon, and this demon happened to be taking it extremely easy on her. She knew that he could have torn her neck off within the first few moments of battle. But he enjoyed fighting, and she knew he would wait until the end to kill her.

She got bored of blocking him, and crouched down to the floor, and attempted to kick him in the jaw again, only this time, straight up. She missed, and accidentally kicked his outstretched arm. She banged her foot back down on the ground, and swung it around, kicking him in the back of the knees. He fell to the floor, but fell right on top of her. She tried to get out of the way, but he came crashing down on her leg. She winced, and punched him in the chest, then the face, trying to get him off her leg. She finally slid it out from under him, feeling no immediate pain.

She stood up, to make sure it wasn't broken, and was relieved to find it wasn't. She readied her stance, watching him slowly rise.

"You're not very strong, I'm sorry to say. But you know the weak spots on the body, which works well for you, since you have no real strength. Not that I'm surprised, you're just a human girl. I'm not afraid to hurt a woman who puts up such a good fight."

He reached out and grasped her mask, trying to rip it off. She did the only offense she could…

She bit him…

He smiled, "You are a weak human girl…you didn't even bruise the skin."

He ripped away at the mask, watching familiar tan skin boil out from under. His eyes widened in shock as she attempted to cover her face. Anger boiled inside him, spilling out in the form of curses. He shed the mask out of frustration, and pressed his hand against her chest, pushing her down to the ground. She saw his hand retract, and raised her arms in defense. He wanted to beat the living shit out of her, but couldn't bring himself to throw the first hit. He balled his fist. Kagome watched as the knuckles turned white hot, and she feared he might burn through his flesh.

"Follow me…"

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He slammed the door shut, sealing them away in the room. It was easily recognized as Inuyasha's bedchambers, as distinct as the glare coming off his eyes. The ear piercing sound of the slamming door echoed in the still room. Kagome felt a certain amount of dread and fear melt in her chest. She had never seen Inuyasha this angry before. Usually she would just have plopped onto his bed in stubborn silence, pouting as being caught in her scheme. But the room's aura made her feel both excited and uneasy at the time.

He walked past her, and she suddenly felt out of place in the room. She was not welcomed in here; she was only here because Inuyasha wanted to yell at her. She tried to look at his face, to see his emotions. But she realized she didn't want to see him angry at her. She felt ashamed of what she did, and felt the sea of guilt mix with her fear and dread. She felt a few tears bubble over the sides of her lashes. They fell to the ground, twin silver beads falling to their death.

He walked over to a vanity, the awkward silence still penetrating the room. He rested his hand on the table. Kagome noticed the anger that vibrated through his hand. He clenched it into a fist to get it to cease.

"Damn it Kagome…God fucking damn it!" He slammed his fist down on the table, growling. He snuck a glare at her, and saw a tear stained face. It didn't even faze him, to see her so distressed.

"Why the hell are you here Kagome? Damn it…you KNEW you weren't supposed to follow. I know I made that point to you when we were on that damn beach. But you followed me anyway, didn't you!"

"I'm sorry!" She cried.

"No, you're not. You snuck on my ship, and took out half my crew, which I still don't know in the blazes how you accomplished. But that is beside the point; you're supposed to be on an island where you are safe. Not following me on this damn boat."

"But I-"

"Don't! Don't even try to redeem yourself."

"But if you just-"

He went over, and slapped his hand over her mouth, "Shut….up…got it."

He felt tears drip onto his hand. Her golden brown eyes were overflowing with crystal clear, salty tears. Her brows were drawn together in painful embarrassment, the thumping of her heart audible to even human ears. He began to feel the slight pucker of her lips underneath his palm, and immediately retracted it. It was too nice a feeling, and he wasn't about to let himself give into that shit.

"Get up," he stated bluntly.

She did as told and started wiping her wet face on the sleeve of her suit. She sniffed, and hung her head low.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"Don't give me that respect shit. You always call me by my name! Why the hell is it now different."

"Because you're yelling at me…"

His heart stopped as the twinkling tears flowed over, her shining brown eyes once warm and kind, were now frozen and afraid. His blood ran cold against the blush in his cheeks. He had tortured men on multiple occasions, seen them bleed, made them choke, watched them beg for mercy. He could stand all of the torture he had ever done to an innocent man, but his icy heart could not bear to see a woman cry.

"Kagome, c'mon! You know…just…don't cry! You know I hate it when you cry."

The tears flowed faster as she laughed at his words, the slight mix between a giggle and a hiccup. Her shattered breathing echoed in the still room, bouncing off the walls, ringing in his ears. She reached out, and pulled him towards her. She sobbed into his shirt, leaving him a very shocked pirate. He was shocked by the sincerity of her crying, by the pounding her heart was making, by the suddenness of her actions. She pulled him down, so she could whisper in his ear.

"I only followed you…because I wanted to be with you…"

Her hot breath singed his ear, her voice a choked whisper. He could feel her lips moving in the air, imagining their soft pick texture. He ripped her body off of his, and tossed her aside. His heart had been pierced by her love, and the ice was slowly melting away to reveal stone. He wouldn't fall for her parlor tricks of love, he couldn't. Her silent longing for him had become part of her own demise, completely of her own forthcoming. He never…wanted anything to do with her. He never said he could keep her forever. His heart of stone was becoming soft for a mortal woman. He must keep what ever strength he had left, otherwise hell would break loose.

"You're a foolish woman, Miss Higurashi."

She blubbered some nonsense, her tears washing away the blood splattered on her face. She wrapped her arms around her body, and stood silent, save for her crying. She shook her head, her bottom lip curling in a fruitless effort to stop her tears.

"I am not foolish, Inuyasha."

There she went, using his name. Her voice was her weapon, how she spoke it with a sigh and secret longing. He relished every syllable, tasted every letter. It was like a long drink after years of parched thirst. He dared to turn around, to stare her down, "You are a fool, Miss Higurashi. You are a fool for following me back here, a fool for trying to act the pirates' way, and a fool for trying to break down my defenses."

He whipped out the blade from his belt, and held it to her throat, "I am a fool, for letting a woman such as you break down to the core of my heart. You have been mining it for so long, haven't you? Digging deeper in hopes of finding softness and mercy. What did you find Miss? Hm? I'd like to know."

She turned away from him, but he grasped her chin and made her look him in the eyes, "WHAT DID YOU FIND?"

Her lips quivered, and she opened her mouth to speak. Her tears had run dry, but her eyes still held the salty smell. Her tan cheeks were now lifeless and pale, save for the blush running across her cheekbones.

"A heartless monster…"

It hurt, but not enough to last him longer than a moment. He had prepared himself for the worst, and it was paying off. He resheathed his sword, and tucked it in the loop of his belt. The pain had subsided, replaced with an endless sea of guilt. The guilt ate away at his heart like acid, burning and simmering away at his soul.

"I never meant to hurt you, Miss Higurashi. But that is the side of me you must know best. Your life depends on it."

"Inuyasha…"

She reached out, trying to catch his sleeve, but he had already turned around, and caught her hand, "Do not follow a dream you cannot fulfill by yourself. Never count on anyone to fill in the missing pieces."

He traced her warm cheek, feeling the skin chapped from her tears. Her lips were pressed together in a sign of suffering, a last attempt to hold her feelings in. He could see more tears forming in her eyes, and her lips began to quiver again.

"Please…don't do this…" She whispered.

"I have to…" he spoke, the pain evident in his voice.

"Inuyasha…" Once again, she spoke it with the most delightful musicality. He wanted to have control; he wanted to leave that very moment. But even a heart of stone could not deny her what she wanted. And in all honesty, there was no denying he wanted it too…

"Kagome," He pushed her body against his, pressing his lips against hers, feeling the warmth of acceptance from her lips. Her sweet breath poured into his mouth as her lips kissed harder against his. His hand pressed the back of her head towards him, the fire burning away all the coldness and solemn in the room. She breathed his name, the steam from her lips wisping away into his senses. Her soft tongue traced his lips, earning a grunt of pleasure. Their bodies pressed together, and while his hands were running up and down her body, her hands were wrapped around his neck.

A string of saliva was strung between them as he began kissing her neck. Her mangled breathing was a sign of quality work. His stomach was home to a thousand squirming butterflies as his lips breathed the hot flames of his need along the bottom of her jaw line. Her one hand smoothed the back of his neck, and the other one slid across his cheek, up into his hair. He drew a line down from her jaw to her collarbone with his tongue, and began kissing away at the protruding bone.

She managed to get out his name, wanting his lips back on hers. She felt his strong arms lift her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to get a better position. He wavered back, and they fell against the side of his matress. Her lips were torn away from his momentarily, but like magnets, they were back at each other in a heartbeat. One pounding heart beat after another, they were still at it. Legs entwined, hands tangled in each other's hair. Her top had somehow come undone, and her breasts were kept hidden only by a small tank top.

He buried his face into her cleavage, nuzzling the soft skin of her breasts. His hands ensnared her waist, the feeling of her arching back more than just enticing, but exciting as well. He picked her up by her waist, turning towards the silk sheets that lay behind them. He gently lowered her onto the bed behind them. She softly plopped against the goose down mattress, while he hovered above her, only to fall a moment later next to her. She turned and pulled herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips sought after him, kissing his neck, his chin, anything within range.

Suddenly she felt two fingers against her lips, trying to calm her down. She felt foolish, letting herself run so wild, and smiled against his two fingers. His arm snaked around her waist, holding her close to his chest. His face buried itself into her neck, breathing in her addicting scent. He grazed his lips against her skin, feeling the shivers that followed.

"Inuyasha," She turned to face him, leaning her head on her outstretched arm. His hand reached out to smooth her face, tangling itself in stray tresses.

"Hm?"

"What just happened?"

"I don't know."

"What's gonna happen?"

He sighed, "I don't know."

She nodded, and closed her eyes, leaning her face against his chest. The pleasant silence made her calm, and her heart slowly stopped pounding. She smelt his skin, smelling the sensations of salt and wind. Salty sea air, but his own manly scent as well. It was truly mouthwatering, and her stomach twisted in pleasure.

She sighed, feeling his hand ensnarled in her hair. He was massaging the side of her scalp, which felt so calming and good. She curled her body up against his, letting the serenity of the room fill her. She tightened her grip around his neck, pulling herself up closer to him. She felt his hand glide along her hips, up her stomach, and towards her breasts. She felt him grab a handful, and squeeze. She looked up, to see him give a small smile. She stared at him, confused. He…liked them.

As stupid as it sounded for her to ask why, you must understand how beauty was admired in her world. She had large breasts, but it was considered beautiful to have small breasts. For years, she bound her chest as night in hopes of lacking their growth. It didn't work, and she wound up with d cup breasts. It was also considered beautiful, to have a long torso and long legs. While she did have long legs, her torso was very small, not long and graceful as the woman who posed for pictures in the magazines. Long hair wasn't exactly frowned upon, but it was considered improper to let them fall freely, as she did. She was small, delicate in her own right, not tall and hearty. Eyes were supposed to be small and slanted, while hers were large and curious.

She should be the exact opposite of attractive. But here she was, with a gorgeous man telling her she had nice breasts. His hands were gliding along all of her, and his face showed enjoyment from his actions. She was so confused, but she didn't want to ask him anything. She might jinx herself if she did. She decided it best to continue their pleasant silence. She felt a wave of sudden exhaustion wash over, and soon fell asleep in his warm arms.

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Yay! I updated. Happy 2007 everyone, whoot whoot! I'm sorry I didn't update before, but I was sick over a lot of the break, and in bed. But I did do something progressive, which is I made a deviantart account(back in November) and I have been updating it with all kinds of stuff. The link to it is in my profile, so if you want you can go check it out! Once more I'm sorry about the long update, but I made the chapter double what I usually write, so hopefully that counts for something.

I have recently been on a ranma ½ craze( I got the entire series on dvd as a Christmas present to myself), and I have decided the next story will be a ranma ½ Inuyasha cross over. But that won't be til after I finish this story. So it probably won't be till summer or next school year(but you never know, it might be sooner). I think I'll be writing a few chapters now, so if anyone has any ideas or requests please let me know, cause I'll be working on it before I post it(for a nice change)

People who take time to review (whom I love to bits)

Inuyasha1818

Cookie Tirone(who has left one of the best reviews I have ever received. To all who wanna see Shessomaru, he is coming up within the next 5 chapter, and will be a main character. I just have to set a few more things up first. Also, I hope to reintroduce Naraku soon, since he seems to be in hibernation. He has a reason though, which you'll see either next chapter or the chapter after the next chapter.)

Squeekers

KagomeLoverOfInuyasha

Inuloveryasha

Neko-hanyou12

Qui

InuKagKisses

Faerie Princess of Doom

Lady kCassaundra

Star Sapphirex (thank you for the old english, I forgot to go back an revise that, it helped a lot!) She's the beataer, go read her stories, they are Go0o0o0o0o0od! Give her thanks for this chapter too, she deserves it.

Black Juju

Ro0tin4kagome

Secret35

Toodles to all and to all a good new years!

Bleh on returning to school!


	14. Sango's curiosity

Overwhelming stress weighed upon her, each bead of sweat plopping softly on the ground, but the plop seemed silent in the rush of commotion around her. Her arms felt weak and tired, thin and brittle, ready to break apart into a thousand pieces that would blind each man in the eye. But they knew not of her true sexuality, and it would be best for it to stay that way. She spun around on her heels, the boomerang creating an impenetrable barrier. She felt drained, and numb…

The growls of angry men drowned out her thoughts, her planning and strategy becoming harder to interpret. She felt lost, her mind becoming blanker as her attacks became blunter. Sweat stung her eyes, her brain sizzled in her skull from the fury and heat that burned inside her. The men became blurry, and she began to lose her footing. She heard his voice, calling for the men to leave, she decided it was safe now.

She bent down to her knees, falling to the ground desperately. She couldn't breathe…the binding around her bosom was so tight. The room grew dark as she pulled a knife from her boot, and slit her bandages. They tumbled out against her chest, and she stopped seeing dancing purple dots fluttering aimlessly around the room. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing into her skin, her muscles, her throbbing head. She could feel the rush of cold adrenaline in her veins, her blood boiling…

"What is your business on this ship," he demanded. His voice was full of his authority. She knew he was looking down on her; after all, she was the one causing trouble on his captain's ship.

She remained silent though, the fabric of her face mask making her hot breath cloud against her sticky skin. She forced herself to her feet, feeling the pop of the joints as she rose. Her breathing was still labored, but steady now. She could fight him, and win. She had before; she had beaten the great Miroku…

"You can stop pretending now…Sango…"

She gave a hard laugh, "So the boomerang is a dead give away I see."

He smiled, "You would think, wouldn't you."

She removed her mask, the cool morning air feeling fresh against her moist skin. She sighed, "So what are you going to do now, report me to Inuyasha?"

"Where is Kagome?" He asked without a remark as to her previous question.

She dabbed her face with her mask, "Up the stairs, she went after Inuyasha."

"But of course, I should have known."

She looked up, seeing the grand staircase. She could no longer see Kagome climbing up the stairs. She looked to the floor, the shine of marble on the floor reflecting her tired posture. She fell to the ground, the cool marble sucking up the excess heat. It was cold for a moment. She let the shiver of delight burst through her a moment longer than she normally would have. She closed her eyes, resting…

Miroku was lost for words, watching the woman he loved fall to the ground in exhaustion. He walked towards her, sitting on the ground beside her outstretched body. She had her head tilted away from him, her breath fogging on the marble. He smiled, not sure what to make of their situation. He laid a hand on her shoulder, trying to establish some kind of contact.

She looked over at him, her mauve eyes halved in exhaustion, "What?"

He shook his head, "It's been so long, since I've seen you…I just," he became silent for a while, but she knew he just needed to find words, "The last time we met, you said you never cared to see me again."

She turned away, "I meant it."

"Then why are you here now. I know you didn't do it for Kagome's sake; she has the power to do it alone…"

"I know that." Her body began to tense, he could feel it.

"Then why did you come along?"

"She asked me to…"

"Is that the only reason?" He asked, wishing the answer to be no.

She pushed her torso off the floor, sitting with her knees folded under. She looked down at her hands, which were curling each other in her lap, "Of course it was."

He glanced down, feeling his hair shadow his eyes, "I see."

She looked away, her ponytail swishing from her swift action. She gently closed her eyes, and tried to convince herself to not cry. The pit in her chest began to creep upwards, settling hard and raw in her throat. She felt her eyes begin to water, and her bottom lip quivered in rebellion. She couldn't cry, not for him.

She bravely looked up to the spiral staircase, watching the white bars gleam against morning sunlight pouring in from the top deck. She looked up to the ceiling, trying to find something interesting up there for an excuse. She felt cold fingers gently push her chin around, so she was glancing over her shoulder. She caught a flash of blue eyes, his blue eyes. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek, and a now warm thumb wiped it away. But her heart was cold as his fingers were; she wouldn't let these gestures of affection get to her. She was a warrior, not a maiden in distress.

But suddenly she felt the warmth of his breath. Her body began to turn the way her head was twisted. She could taste the humid air of this breath, feel the movement of his lips as he spoke into her ear.

"I'm sorry, my dear…"

Another tear solemnly rolled down, hitting his hand resting on her shoulder. She reached up to touch the trail it left behind, wiping away the moisture from her cheek.

"What of it…you've done nothing wrong." She lied through her teeth like a snake.

"Sango," He whispered, breath warm on her ear, "I am not fool. You are hurt right now by my words, correct?"

She simply stated, "No…"

She turned away, not caring whether or not he still had that look in his eyes; full of warmth, concern, maybe even a bit of lust. It wasn't for her to judge, it didn't even involve her. She was a warrior, not a woman. She couldn't let deceptions of the heart win the battle raging inside her. She had to remember that hand….

That hand….

Rolling over her bottom, squeezing inappropriately, touching what needn't be touched. Anger replaced whatever feeling she had before. The moment she remembered why Miroku wasn't an honest man, Miroku's true colors showed through. That bound-up hand grabbed a handful of her rump, giving it a pleasurable squeeze, the anger boiled over…

"You perverted monk!" Her hand came round, smashing into his jaw. A slap echoed through the empty halls, followed by her angry pants. Her icy glare didn't reach him in its fullest; he knew women didn't really hate it. They secretly enjoyed it. It was a technique passed down through his family for generations_. Kiyoraka Te Toraeru, _or The Holy Hand Seize. One of his families's most guarded secrets, it is the perfect technique for both men and women. Created by his Great-Great Grandmother for her son to use upon the village woman, this technique combined the supple touch of a monk's holy hand, and a soft circular motion. It was the perfect feeling for a woman….

"Dear, dear Sango…Shall I show you to your room now?"

"It better be far away from yours!"

"Why such a cold stare? Am I not a hospitable host?"

"Far, FAR away from you," She said as she rose from the floor.

He got up as well, allowing Sango to remember how tall he was. She had always remembered him being shorter, but here he was a good 8 or 9 inches taller than her. Somehow, she found it attractive, but paid it no more notice than that. She followed him to the stairs, paying no attention to him anymore. She gave too much thought to him, and he didn't deserve her time. She followed him silently up the stairs, trying to forget the silent ringing in her heart. It felt so pure echoing inside her. Pure, but desperately lonely…

They had traveled midway when Miroku stopped to get off on one of the many bridges connecting to the halls 10 feet away. She followed him, watching him with a curious eye. His actions were too normal, he wasn't gliding along the floors, he didn't walk with his usual strut. If fact he seemed almost…behaved. It must be a trick of her eyes, Miroku never was one for manners, at least not when it came to her. He always asked too personal questions, always stared her down, or got too close. Once he even touched her hand, it was going too far with a woman of discipline such as her.

Of course, that wasn't what bothered her most about him. It was that damn hand…on her rump! How dare he, it was going too far even for him.

Suddenly he broke the silence, "Here is your room," He opened the door to a woman's dreams. Soft red and golden hues adorned the walls, shimmering in the morning light. The bed…it was an actual bed, not a cot. The room had cherry wood at its main furniture, it even had a bathroom. The bed had a covering patterned with Sakura blossoms and white swans. Everything was gorgeous, she had never imagined such a beautiful room, and this was meant for her…

"Miroku…it's gorgeous."

"Only the best for you…"

She turned to face him, a slight blush tingling on her cheeks, "You don't mean that…"

"But I do."

She looked down at her clothes, "Miroku, Kagome has my other clothes. Could you possibly find some way to get them?"

"Of course, but might I insist we wait a bit, knowing Inuyasha and Miss Kagome, they are probably having an intimate discussion."

"How careless of me, I'd forgotten her reason in coming," She looked down, "She loves him, you know."

"Yes, how fortunate Inuyasha is to have found such a fine woman. She is exactly what he needs most, but yet…his reasons for not wanting her are very convincing."

"What exactly happened to him, does Kagome even know?"

"Might I suggest we sit down for a while, you must be tired."

"Yes, of course."

They walked over to a small coffee table in the corner. They sat down on the cushions surrounding it, Sango on her knees, Miroku cross-legged. She stared at him, her flame of curiosity continued to burn. Miroku nodded, and continued on with his story.

"Inuyasha had a suitor once, by the name of Kikyo. She was a beauty by anyone's standards, long black hair, raven eyes, and skin cold and pale as porcelain. She pursued Inuyasha with great care, admiring him like a school girl with a crush. Inuyasha was immune to her constant attention though, never one for intimate feelings. He was only 14 when they met. But by his 15th birthday, he began to notice changes in her. She became almost…celestial. Her beauty had blossomed into womanhood, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her attention continued, and his crush began to grow. Soon their friendship became something much more, and although he admitted to loving her, he never was truly in love with her."

"Miroku, why was she on the ship to begin with?"

He stared at her with complete seriousness, "She was brought on the ship as one of the officer's concubines."

"I see…"

"The officer was killed a few months after her arrival, and so she had no way of leaving the ship. They weren't due to dock for another 5 months, and Inuyasha's father decided to give her to Inuyasha. This was his 15th birthday present. And by that time, he had grown close to her. He truly loved her in his own way, but it was never enough to fuel him for more of her. He never touched her, at least not for a while. It wasn't until he became 16 or so that he began having the cravings his father knew he would have. The demon inside him longed for Kikyo, but Inuyasha tried to suppress it. He began to be physical with his emotions, but never actually had intercourse with her. But she craved him, and begged him to. His heart wanted to, his demon wanted to, he wanted to, but he knew that she could be in grave danger."

"Why would she be in danger?" Sango asked.

"Inuyasha is a half demon, he can take both human and demon forms. On a certain night of the month…"

"I know about that, but why would she be in danger? I though Inuyasha only turned into a demon when he was about to be killed."

"No…Inuyasha can turn into a demon during fits of extreme emotion too. He talked to his father, and explained his conflicting emotions. That's how the Tetsusaiga became his…"

"That's the sword he has right?"

"Yes, it's a powerful sword made from his father's fang. It had the power to suppress the demon in him as long as it touched his body. So…Inuyasha began to be intimate with her. She was never happier, but his lust only intensified. He began longing for harmful ways of love-making, the demon inside him longing for her blood. He would have horrible nightmares, so horrible he began to wake up screaming and growling. Once he woke up, finding blood from a self-inflicted wound he had given himself in his nightmare. He feared the raging beast inside him was more powerful than the Tetsusaiga. Soon, as their love-making continued, Inuyasha realized he had lost his love for Kikyo. Instead he had pure lust, a much different emotion. Once he made her bleed, because had thrusted so hard. He began to fear causing more harm to her…"

"Why didn't he stop when he had lost his love for her?"

"By that time he physically wanted her, plus she tortured him with her body. She wanted it, and she knew how to get it. But one night, she became a soulless shell. She stopped smiling and laughing, and her eyes lost all happiness. But she still tortured him, as if that was the only way to make her feel."

"How tragic…"

"One night, while they were love-making, she took out a knife, and sliced it across his chest. She kissed away the blood, Inuyasha more afraid than enticed. But his demon…his demon loved it. Inuyasha began to wonder about her, afraid she was sick or something. On her final night, she sliced him at his neck, watching the blood drip down his chest. She begged him to slice her, and he refused. His demon raged inside him, and it took all of him to suppress it. But Kikyo wanted to bleed, show him how it felt to watch it. She cut herself across under her collar bone, letting the blood spill over her body. She walked over to him, and put her arms around his waist. No one knows exactly what happened after that, except that the next morning she was gorged to death by Inuyasha's raging demon and Inuyasha still had the Tetsusaiga against his hip."

"That's terrible." She said, her voice saddened and compassionate.

"Yes, and that's why Inuyasha doesn't want Kagome to stay with him. But…I think she might be the cure for him really. While Kikyo was a good person, she wasn't innocent. Kikyo was someone trained to pleasure a man; she grew up in a whorehouse. While I believe to this day Kikyo had a good heart, she was corrupted by her past. By the time she was 16 all she gave thought to was Inuyasha, or rather what he could do to her. It saddens me to think of what a wonderful person she was before she became some soulless shell."

"It sounds a lot like a dark priestess's juso. I've heard of a curse that manipulates you into someone you're not, that takes over all of your body and your soul watches in horror." Sango said as if some answer to the causes of Kikyo's metamorphosis.

"We'll never know unfortunately."

Sango looked gravely at the table, taking in the story of Inuyasha's past. It made sense now, all of it made sense. Except Kikyo's story, that didn't make sense, at least not to her. Maybe someday she'd understand, although she honestly hoped not.

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Tsubaki watched, glaring. The light coming off the orb was not enough to light the room, it never would be. Her face was hidden in shadows, the unbroken abyss she hid herself in. She looked at the dully glowing globe, watching Miroku and Sango talk about the dead witch Kikyo. She raised her hand, and smashed the orb to the ground. It shattered into a thousand pieces, each piece glowing with a bit of her magic it still held onto.

"It's too soon. She'll tell Kagome, and then everything will be ruined!" She hissed to herself. She licked her ruby lips, tasting blood still left from the last victim. She let the bitter flavor roll around in her mouth until she swallowed.

He was watching, she knew he was. Naraku was always watching those he didn't trust. _He will be most displeased by my actions._

She knew her only hope she had left was to get that bastard dog and girl together before the wench found out he needed the sword. She had to think quickly, her life might depend on it. They would be coming to her island with a month. It would be unavoidable, that the girl would be captured. She just prayed she would be alive to see that day. She walked over to the glowing pieces of glass, and with a wave of her hand, put them back together. She spied on the bastard and the wench.

Her face lit up with malicious joy, "So soon to forgive him, are you? That will be your demise, wench…"

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Kagura paced back and forth through her room, watching those two kiss. She knew what Naraku was planning and, by now, probably had a new offspring to carry it out. Somehow, the girl was needed to carry out his sick intentions. She should have killed her back then, before all the devastation would occur. But the cycle had already begun, and its focal point would end up with bloodshed. Kanna placed the mirror face down on her lap. Her black eyes looked at the floor, searching for meaning.

"Kagura…the girl…"

"Yes, I know. She shouldn't be kept alive. But now the damn hanyou will risk his life to protect her. Ironic isn't it?"

"No, the girl…she has the blood of a ningyo," She said with a hint of surprise.

"No wonder she has the miko powers…"

"Because the humans who possessed the trait died out…correct?"

"Exactly, no wonder Naraku is interested. I wonder…if he gets them to breed…their child will be quite unique." Kagura said with expressive interest.

"Or they will be unable to breed." Kanna added logically.

"So that's why he kept the hanyou alive, since Naraku can't do it himself…" Kagura said with a snicker, "He can't actually reproduce. Perhaps we need to visit our dear Inuyasha, he is overdue for a check up, isn't he? We must make sure he is taking care of that ship…"

Kanna merely nodded.

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Well, it's a shorter chapter, but hopefully you liked it just as much.

If anyone can figure out what a ningyo is they can win a cookie!

I'm sorry for the long update! I know a lot of you were impatient, but I've been extremely busy with my deviantart account and other stuff. I've had a lot of problems with school (mainly Latin…) and it's been taking up a lot of my time. Forgiveness please!!!

Sesshomaru is coming up in the next chapter, as always Kagura needs some help. And soon…I'm going to take on an old challenge. If any of you have read Veiled Beauty you might know what I'm talking about. I'm gonna throw in one of my old crazy twists, something no one will expect. At least the people who don't know what a Ningyo is. If you figure it out, you might guess….probably will actually.

I'll be posting some fanart pics on my deviantart soon, there's already some there.

People who reviewed:

Jessiskags

Lover's Angel

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Squeekers

Black Juju

Rootin4Kagome

Cookie Tirone (I want those pictures! I wanna see them sooooo bad, did you get my Pm? The other email is in there)

Star Sapphrirex (Who once again made this chapter 1000000xs better!)

Neko-hanyou12

Thanks guys! I'm glad I have awesome people who support my writing! I love each and everyone of you to pieces! Big huggles for everyone!

toodles


	15. The Ningyo

jChp 15

The insolence of his actions was unforgivable. Even he couldn't let this one slide, no creature of demon blood should intermingle with such impure, vile creatures such as humans. He was more than happy to take this away from his brother, and he was happy to have a reason for doing so other than jealousy. His normally indifferent set of mind was boiling with anger beneath his monotoned exterior. He slowly tapped his fingers on the railing of the ship, seemingly bored, when it was actually a way for him to gradually let out anger.

"Master! Master!" His imp servant yelled. He closed his eyes, calmly, and listened to his shrilling voice, "Inuyasha's ship! It…it approaches."

He continued to keep his lids down Right now the light was more irritating than the shrieks coming from the green toad-like demon, "Wrong, Jaken. _Our_ ship approaches, not the other way around."

"But, why?" Another shriek of blabbering.

"Inuyasha has something I want, and I have reason to take it from him." He opened his eyes, staring out at the open sea. The setting sun made the ocean a fiery orange, shimmering with white diamonds scattered randomly. He could see the white foam of the waves breaking against the ship, spilling onto the upper deck. Spoils of the sea…

Father…

The spoils of a damnable relationship with a human had stolen away his rightful ship_, The Wind Scar_. His bastard half-brother stole away his birthrights , to be captain of the greatest ship in existence. How could Father have taken it away, and given him only his second best ship. Sesshomaru deserved better than second place. He was a perfect specimen of demon, gifted in every possible area of demon hood. He should have inherited the best, but thanks to the existence of his half brother, he lost everything.

His exterior remained cold and unfeeling, while his interior burned with a passionate hatred.

They neared the ship, and a set of blades emerged from his ship. They cut into the side of _The Wind Scar_, bridging a solid hold onto the ship. His crew began to climb the sides, while he watched from below. He was above all this, and floated to the top using a ball of energy. The ride up was calm, and he watched as the crew climbed up with vigorous strength. It would be quite disgraceful for his reputation to have exerted himself for the sake of his crew. He never was one to give a damn about anything, and he knew he never _would_ have a reason to give a damn about anything. So he watched from the comfort of his cocoon as his crew scaled the immeasurable stories of the ship.

Needless to say, he was the first to arrive.

He gently dispersed the energy as he landed on the top deck, where he was met with a shocking turn of events.

He saw a woman.

He smiled a bit, nothing more than a twitch really, as he watched her confusion. Her high ponytail and warrior's uniform did not possess the look of a prostitute, and he could only assume that she was the one with the first mate.

"Who are you?" She stated boldly. She obviously did not know who he was.

He began to walk, and she reached behind her, pulling out a katana hidden on her body. She did not completely unsheathe it, but showed the silver of the blade, attempting to scare him. Her attempted massacre was too amusing for him, and he gave another twitch. She was a commodity.

She unsheathed the blade with such viscosity that he wondered if she had demon blood in her. But scents don't lie, and he knew she was a demon exterminator within the instant of her speed and precision. Of course, even with her speed, it was only too easy to avoid her blade. To a demon, most humans moved as if in slow mode, and although she was a few steps above a normal human, she was still moderately slow. He waited a moment, and then with the speed of lightning, moved behind her. She stumbled a bit, obviously not use to such speed. She spun around, obviously able to have a weak sense of his presence, and tried again, this time a bit slower. Humans were always so weak.

"Sesshomaru," a familiar voice called out, "Leave her alone!"

He knew it to be the First mate, Miroku. A bit surprising, he had thought Inuyasha had found a suitable human. As if humans were suitable…

"Where is the bastard?" Sesshomaru spoke with a twinge of malice.

"Why are you here? You have no business with us!" Miroku spoke as if he had authority over this Sesshomaru.

"I will seek him out."

Within a blink, he had disappeared. Miroku boiled over with anger, and knew this would be another long, bloody battle.

"Miroku, who was that man?" Sango asked, interrupting his thoughts. He immediately felt guilty for not giving immediate concern for her welfare.

"Are you injured, dearest Sango?"

"I'm fine, he merely toyed with me. But…who was he?"

"Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother," Miroku replied. He surveyed her body for any tears on her uniform; Sesshomaru was usually so quick that humans didn't even have a chance to sense pain from his attacks.

Luckily, his survey detected no injuries. He gave a quick sigh of relief. But, of course, eyes could be deceiving…

"Damn it, Miroku!" A familiar slap echoed in the air…

He felt a surge of victory as she stormed down to the lower decks.

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A/n: Play Vanessa Carlton's Twilight

Sango ran to her room, where her boomerang was stored. The long halls seemed so much longer when someone's life could be in danger. She slid a bit to the right as she tried to enter her room. She scanned around. Propped up against her dresser was her trusted weapon, the Hiraikotsu. She picked it up by the strap, and ran back out to the stairs.

She knew exactly where Inuyasha was, and knew where Sesshomaru would be waiting as well. Inuyasha had been with Kagome since last night, which had an effect on his scent. He smelled like a different person to Sesshomaru, so he would follow the scent Inuyasha had the night before. She jumped over the side of the banister, falling three floors down. She repeated the action until she was on the 40th floor. Her legs felt as solid as wet seaweed, but she continued to run. As expected, Sesshomaru was on that floor.

"Where has he hidden?" He said coldly, and a bit embarrassed.

"He's not hidden…his scent changed." She stated.

"I have no time for your antics, human." He flexed his claws with a chain of menacing pops. Each one was like a gun shot, holding that same sense of death and speed.

She readied her Hiraikotsu, for both physical and mental defense. Her mind told her that she would die, but her body told her she could succeed. She would like to believe her body was right, but she had never considered herself a stupid woman.

In another flash, he was gone. But she felt a lingering pain in her side, sizzling slightly. She could smell the burning flesh, no doubt from the acidic poison in her side. She felt to her knees, then to the ground. Her eyes were wide open in shock, surprised she was not dead. She had expected him to go for a more vulnerable area, like the throat or chest, but instead he had gorged out her side. He must like his victims to suffer, no doubt from a past influence. She wondered what happened to him, and then laughed at the irony of her last thoughts before death. She began to wonder who would find her body, and hoped it would be Miroku. She secretly hoped he would find her before death; maybe he could comfort her with words of love. She knew it was selfish to think that, but who cared about being selfish in the moments before death.

She felt herself being lifted up, and thought she heard someone say her name. Was an angel carrying her to heaven? Why was there so much pain? The angel's voice called her name, as if struggling to keep its hold on her. She began to notice a fuzzy light, and wondered if that was heaven. She began to open her eyes, slowly. She couldn't focus on anything, but saw the outline of her angel. Why did it still hurt so much? Wasn't heaven supposed to be pain free? Maybe she wasn't in heaven…

"Sango! Sango!" The angel called. She could see his or her mouth open. She recognized the voice to be a male's. It was so familiar, and so delicious. She tried to focus on the face; she saw ocean blue eyes, and messy black hair. She reached out, seeing crimson on her hand. The angel's face felt solid and warm, not like she expected.

He said her name again, and she felt tears escape. She didn't want to die yet, she wasn't ready to die. The angel seemed distressed. Why, she wondered.

She felt her eyes open wide, and tried to see through blurred slurs of vision. It still hurt…

She began to realize her heart was still beating, and she could hear it. Her focus began to return, and she saw the angel's face.

She tried to speak his name, she couldn't. Her vocals were frozen. But she cooed and she stroked his warm face. She began to feel his hand on her cheek, and more tears flowed.

"Sango, are you with me?" he asked, his voice more beautiful than any angel's. She nodded. She saw joy in his face, and felt a small smile appear on her own. She wasn't dead yet…and Miroku was here with her. She closed her eyes, realizing what it felt like to be truly alive.

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That scent…

Its very smell was cold and pure, like the frozen air during a winter's night. He woke from his sleep with a jolt. He had never reacted so quickly in his life as he did in that moment. He had avoided the lash of his brother's light whip, a feat not many could have achieved. He momentarily stared at him, a bit confused at what was going on.

"Your skills have much improved little brother. Unfortunately, not enough for you to survive." He stated in his emotionless monologue.

Inuyasha tried to think of what was happening. He knew Sesshomaru was here, but he had no idea why. Nevertheless, he moved his body to a fighting position. Sesshomaru's gaze drifted towards where Inuyasha had been napping. His eyes focused on the last thing he ever wanted his brother to see.

With movements so swift Inuyasha could barely react, Sesshomaru neared a still-sleeping Kagome. Inuyasha immediately went to stop his actions, but was a moment too slow. Sesshomaru had applied tension to a sleeping-pressure point in the middle of her back. He swooped his arm under her waist, and picked her up, heaving her over his shoulder like a bag of rice. The sight of him tossing her around so carelessly sent Inuyasha into a wave of extremes. He bared his fangs, growling at Sesshomaru, who remained motionless. He tossed his head around, snarling. Sesshomaru continued to watch, his mask continuing to hold.

Inuyasha, realizing that threats would have no effect on his brother, placed his hand over the hilt of his sword. He grasped the handle, and ripped it out. He positioned it in front of him, in both defense and offense.

Sesshomaru narrowed his cold eyes, and gave an icy stare towards the sword.

"Stay back little brother, I wouldn't want to kill Father's precious heir."

"Let her go," He snarled.

"I could kill her in an instant, so I wouldn't go making demands." He preached warningly.

"What do you want with her?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I owe you no explanations…" he stated. In a split second Sesshomaru had unsheathed his own sword, and they were leaning against each other's blades. The sound of the clicking metal rang throughout the room, and Sesshomaru noticed the fierce overwhelming power in Inuyasha's eyes. He had never seen his brother like this. They harbored an inferno of passion and fire, burning with a battle energy that Sesshomaru himself feared he couldn't match. He had no option but to wait to kill his brother another day.

He pushed Inuyasha straight back into a wall, watching for a moment and debris spilled over the hanyou's body. It was a fleeting moment of satisfaction. He jumped out a window, and formed another sphere of energy. He circled the ship, which served as a signal for the crew to return. They broke off their battles, and retreated to their ropes their used to climb up. They slid down, and the boat wavered from their quakes of falling. After a moment of census, Sesshomaru gave the signal to release the blades.

The blades were retracted, leaving a few gashes in the side of the _Wind Scar's _hull. The waves pushed the two boats apart, and the crew went to the oars for additional speed. Sesshomaru dropped the girl on the floor, watching her body jump from impact. She still did not wake, and it wouldn't bother him whether or not she did. As easily as before, he could press the sleeping point, and she would pass out once more. After a final glance at her, he turned to face the seas. The sun was dying, and twilight was at its peak, he could feel the sting of the chill night air beginning to emerge.

"Jaken…" He said after a moment's hesitation.

Within seconds, the imp was running to do his master's bidding, "Yes M'Lord?"

"Put her somewhere until we arrive…"

He walked off, reminiscing about father, swords, and ships.

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Naraku waited patiently. More than patient really, in fact he could be compared to a saint right now. His liquid flow of emotions was as smooth and intoxicating as liquor. His red eyes glanced over to Tsubaki, who was currently working on the spell to bring out the girl's ningyo. Her grandfather hid her bloodline, very cleverly actually. She looked and smelled human, not even Sesshomaru could detect anything otherwise. The only link to her hidden bloodline was the miko powers. It was in that instant that he realized his luck.

There were two creatures that had the power of a Miko; Humans and Ningyos, commonly known as Mermaids. The human mikos had died out some centuries ago, but the mermaid mikos still existed in a single bloodline. The last known carrier of the trait had been the girl's grandfather, who had transformed into a human with the help of Naraku's escaped prisoner, Kagura.

He had hidden himself away on the mainland, and Naraku had never been able to find him. The only links to Higurashi had been The Demon Lord and Kagura, and he knew Kagura was out of the question. His true identity couldn't be known, and Kagura would know him no matter what his outer appearance cloaked. So he had taken the form of a dead bandit named Onigumo, but kept the name Naraku. He was admitted to the ship, and work for over 70 years as a crewmate. His big break came when he found the location of the Shikon Map, but had greatly underestimated the Lord's son, Inuyasha. He thought the human in the boy would be more prominent, and never realized the quality of his demon blood his father passed down to him.

He had fled, and had been in hiding ever since.

But he had kept a close eye on the boy, which was another break of luck he had received. Soon following his discovery, the boy went to Higurashi Island, where he found the ravishingly beautiful Kagome Higurashi. At that time, Naraku had no idea who or what she was, because her grandfather had changed his name to conceal the bloodline. But for some reason, she intrigued him. He kept close tabs on their relationship, and sent one of his puppets to test it.

It was in that instant that he realized luck was truly on his side.

The girl was the Ningyo he had been searching for.

All he had to do was get the hanyou and ningyo to mate, and then devour the fetus. He would gain greater power than any demon.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha was on the verge of falling in love. And if Kagome did become impregnated by Inuyasha at this point in time, it would be much more difficult for Naraku to gain access to the powerhouse growing in her womb. So, for now, he would hide her in a place that she could not find him, and he could not find her. Once he had the Shikon Jewel, and became a true demon, he would lose his sterility, and he would gain the powers of the three worlds. When that happened, he could use the last miko to create a unique and unstoppable power. Of course, devouring the flesh of what ever possessed those powers would transfer the power to his body.

He laughed with the brilliance of his future powers. With the powers of the human, demon, and merworlds he would be invincible. All he had to do was patiently wait for Sesshomaru to get here. Once he delivered the package, Naraku would begin to give him all the swords and boats he wanted. Just as long as he got the Ningyo…

A knock came to the door, interrupting his train of thought. In a motion as graceful as a dance, the Lord Sesshomaru placed the girl on the floor, and stared at Naraku. His eyes were frozen in a state of hatred, obviously feeling a sense of disgrace for having stolen a human woman and not being able to kill her. He would have to bathe over and over until the scent would leave, and his need would subside. Naraku gave a smirk as he watched the smallest amount of disgust leak through Sesshomaru's mask of a face. He was so easy to read, keeping his face so still normally, the slightest change of expression was amplified on his frozen face.

He waved his hand for Sesshomaru to leave, but Sesshomaru continued to keep his gaze on Naraku.

"What do you want?" Naraku asked, slightly amused.

"The ship, I was promised the ship." He said, cold and harsh as ever.

Naraku laughed, "Patience, Lord Sesshomaru. You will get your cut of the deal, but be patient."

"I have no time for your patience, I want the ship now." He stated, or rather, demanded.

"I can't give you the ship until later, once I have slain Inuyasha. The only part of the deal I can give you now is the map." He reached into a wooden chest beside his chair, and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment, "This scroll contains the whereabouts of the Shikon Chest. I'm sure that you can find uses for such a valuable object." Naraku handed him the scroll. Sesshomaru clasped his translucent hands around the parchment, and stole it from the comfort of Naraku's cold fingers.

"Feh…" Sesshomaru stated aloud as he exited.

Naraku tore his gaze from the doorframe to inspect the girl laid at his feet. She was still asleep; Sesshomaru obviously used the pressure point. He gentle drifted his eyes over such a perfect specimen. Gentle curves, long legs, large breasts; soft raven hair framed a beautiful tan face. She had full, luscious lips, so tender and soft, they sent his senses wild. He began to realize how tempting a fragile human could be to Inuyasha, to any demon really. He licked his lips greedily, wondering how Inuyasha could have such restraint over his emotions.

He glanced over into the darkness where Tsubaki lurked, and forced himself to exercise some self-control.

"Tsubaki, is it ready?" He asked a bit impatiently.

"Let me pour it into something more suitable." She was referring to the fact that Naraku liked everything to be dramatic. So she decided to use a decorative bottle for this momentous occasion. Using a funnel, she poured an aquamarine liquid down into the container. She pursed her blood red lips, smiling slightly as the liquid reached the top. She corked it, and handed it to her "master".

He looked at the smoky green glass bottle that housed the phenomenal powers of transformation. He held it over those lips he had so deeply admired, and uncorked the bottle…

A single drop fell. For those with quick eyes, they could see it suspend in the air for a moment, as if being held back by some anonymous force. It splattered on her lips, turning them a midnight blue where the droplets settled. Another drop fell, this time it traveled less dramatically. Soon a steady flow of aquamarine was flowing into blue lips slightly parted. A white light began to glow around her...

First, her skin lost its wonderful tan glow, and became as translucent as Sesshomaru's. Twin streaks of azure ran down from her eyes, and her lashes grew thick and dark. Cerulean strips of blue traveled down her body, down her arms, and down her abdomen. Her long legs turned a dark shade of sapphire, almost black. They twined and morphed together like two pieces of clay molded together by a potter's hands. A long light turquoise fin grew from the base of where her feet had existed a moment before. Her eyes opened from the metamorphosis, waking her from her peaceful slumber. They had become a striking shade of fluorescent green, glowing much like the amber ones of her lover. A few dots of red trickled down her tail, leaving behind a mosaic of designs on her fins. A skirt of light blue webbing emerged from the top of where the tail began. Her hair gained a soft bluish tint to its raven locks.

She groggily rose from peaceful slumber. She knew not where she was, or what had just happened. She looked around for Inuyasha, but all she could find was a dark abyss. She saw a window with white light cutting through the darkness. She sat up, looking around the dark room.

It was in the moment of movement that she realized that her legs felt constricted. She looked down, discovering the last thing she had ever thought possible…

Her legs weren't there anymore…

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Who knew that was coming, honestly? Two weeks ago, I didn't know, honestly.

But I got a random thought while flipping through some old pictures…

What if there was more to this story that just the pirates, what if I could create a new world inside one I already am in love with? Thus I began concocting ideas in my head, and here we have a mermaid and a thousand possibilities.

People who reviewed (and will hopefully give me some feedback on their thoughts about my crazy plot twist)

JessisKags

Someone who wants to remain anonymous (but still signs her reviews!)

Ayjah

Star Sapphirex

Lover's Angel

Squeekers

Qui

I would really really REALLY like to get 12 reviews for this chapter. Why you might ask?

So I can get 200 reviews for this story! I know it sounds selfish, but please please please can I get 12 reviews! I would love you forever and I would draw an extra special picture for you guys. Which FYI, I have a deviantart, and the link is in my profile somewhere near the bottom. I am working on a few special pictures of this story, mostly on mermaid Kagome (and an upcoming character, see if you can guess).

Please remember 12 reviews! I would be so grateful for 12 reviews, you guys have no idea. I would give you hugs til you BURST!

Toodles!


	16. Mermaids can't cry underwater

Chp 16

She exhaled a fearful sigh. The shocking irrationality of the sight before her numbed her to the core, her wide eyes frozen in place from the scene. The aqua blues that encased her lower body were unexplainable in its sudden appearance. She felt her lungs freeze, as if no longer useable. A dizziness swirled in her head as this abrupt change in reality began to sink in.

"Magnificent," an unfamiliar voice spoke. She spun around, finding the action awkward. She found it so unusual to move a tail. It was as if her legs were wrapped together, then molded together to form one solid mass.

She struggled for words, finding her situation to be a complete fantasy, "Who are you!? What did you do to me!?" She shouted erratically.

A small smile formed on his face, "I did absolutely nothing, but bring out your true nature."

She looked down at her tail, anger burning up inside her. All these questions burning inside her dared to flare out towards the mysterious man.

"True nature? I'm a girl, not a fish." She spat out like venom.

His teeth gleamed like pearls when he smiled, the black of his hair trailing over his face like oil. He stared at her, his disturbing smile sending waves of shivers down her spine, "True... But you are a Ningyo." He added stealthy.

Confusion washed over her like waves against a ship, stinging and painful, "A…what?" She asked tentatively. She began to notice a sense of evil in the air, realizing a soft red light that seemingly emitted from the man. She knew to be careful; this man was not human…

"You are a descendant of Hujimi Higurashi, correct?" He asked. His brow rose in a provocative manner.

She glared at him, "Yes. He's my grandfather."

"Still alive?" He asked as he looked as his nails. He didn't seem at all interested in her answers, as if he knew them already.

"Yes, at least he was when I left…" She said, staring at the floor. She felt a bit guilty for not truly knowing.

"Where is your grandfather from?" He asked, looking at her with his brow still raised.

"I don't know, he's never said." She felt a sudden feeling of despair, realizing something was going terribly wrong. Why was he picking at her with questions? Did he have a hidden motive? She began to notice him walking closer to her, and she tried to use her arms to pull her new body along the floor. Her heartbeat raced, and cold fear dripped down her spine.

"You're grandfather is from a place called "Ma Gogyou" meaning pure waters. It's near the Isles of Japan, hidden from the eyes of the jealous and hateful. It is a floating island, anchored above a magnificent city built under the waters. It was hidden from sight to contain its secrets…secrets only a few of its inhabitants knew…"

She saw as he walked over to an extremely shadowed area, "Tsubaki, you know better than I."

Kagome watched in horror as a woman crept out from the shadows. Her body was seemed to be a mix between a scorpion and a crab. A long stinger was attached to a curving tail that moved like a whip, spitting venom on the wood floor. Her legs were built like a crab, racing along the floor one after the other. A quiet tap was heard after each step, vibrating through the ground to where Kagome was sitting. The sensation sent a shudder through her body,causing the scales on her fins to rise like goose-bumps. Tsubaki's upper half was more human than the rest of her, resting in the middle of all the legs. She had long hair the color of sea foam, which trailed down over her breasts. Her arms were human, but as Kagome scanned down, she realized he had long black talons where her nails should be. They were near a foot long, and deadly sharp…

But she carried herself with a sense of majesty, and continued despite the horrified look on Kagome's face, "So you want to know about Ma Gogyou," She asked as she danced around the floor.

"Yes." She said firmly, trying to have a firm stance on her decision. She was a little apprehensive on whether or not to actually listen. Arrogance is bliss…

"Ma Gogyou is the underwater equivalence of miko training shrines in your world. Ma Gogyou was the sacred site where merpeople with the "gift" were sent to manage their powers. Unfortunately, an invasion of the dark spirits wiped out all but one of the people. That person was Midoriko Higurashi, your great grandmother, the most powerful priestess amongst them. She tried to fight off the dark spirits, but failed. She was struck down, and assumed dead. Of course we know now that she wasn't, because she somehow survived long enough to produce an heir. A son named Hujimi Higurashi. When he was born, he was a merperson, but around the time of his 17th year, his mother changed him into a human with her Miko powers, and died soon after. Hujimi was on the run from the dark spirits until he met Inuyasha's father. He offered him a map to the merpeople's sacred treasure, the Shikon Chest. Of course, the demon lord was more than willing to fight for him when such terms were offered. The odd thing of it is…the demon lord did not actually pursue the treasure. He hid it on his ship. How incredibly odd…." She trailed off, not wanting to give more information. Her ice blue eyes glanced towards the shocked mermaid. Her perfect red lips curled upwards, twisting into a cruel smile.

"He had your mother, who has miko powers buried deep inside. Unfortunately, she hasn't had a terrible experience that reawakened the dormant powers within her. But you did," She glanced over towards the girl, "One of Naraku's puppets almost killed you, and you somehow managed to defeat it with a strange power. The power of a miko…," She took a deep breath, "Human Mikos died out centuries ago, but the mer ones still survived, at least up until the last 100 years or so. But…that's what we have you for," She said as her lips curved up over her long fang; fangs that glimmered in a dull yellow haze, as if coated with some unidentified substance.

She went back into the shadows, creeping away from vision. Naraku emerged from a chair he had been sitting in, his crimson eyes eyeing Kagome once more with a hungry glare.

Suddenly, like lightning, he bolted from his chair, and took her arms. She gasped out in fear and tried in vain to struggle out of the unbreakable grasp. She felt his hot breath on her neck, breathing in and out, sucking in her scent. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for Inuyasha's presence. But she was alone, and no one was going to run to her rescue.

She tried to think of something to release his hold: a jab, a punch. She finally jammed her head into his nose, not that it helped much. His hold weakened for a short two seconds, but not long enough for Kagome to muster up the strength to release her arms.

His eyes were aflame, burning with embarrassment and anger. He stood up, towering over her, and picked her up like a bag of potatoes. He carried her out of the dark room, and over to the deck of the ship. He went over to the banister, ignoring her screams and struggles.

"Little mermaid, enjoy the sea."

Then he tossed her over the railing…

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"Inuyasha please calm yourself. Kagome will be safe in a short time. We just need to retrieve her." Miroku tried to reason.

"And where the fuck should we look first!? We're in the middle of the ocean, dipshit!" His anger had not subsided since Kagome's capture. As usual, he took his anger out on Miroku, who tried his best to use his monk teaching to keep a calm mind.

"I thought this was supposed to be the fastest ship in the world," Sango chirped in.

"It was the fastest ship because Kagura kept the winds around it faster. But she cut them down, and now there's barely a fucking breeze." Inuyasha growled in explanation.

"Why would Kagura cut off our wind?" Sango questioned.

"She'd do anything for Sesshomaru, always had a little crush on the bastard. He probably begged her to help him since he's too pathetic to do it himself…asshole." Inuyasha huffed.

Sango watched as Inuyasha stormed off first deck, and raced towards the stairs. She worried about him, knowing that Kagome's absence was harder on him than anyone else. She went to go down towards him, but Miroku's arm shot out. He grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her back towards him.

"Sango, I need to tell you something." Miroku said as she turned around.

"What?" She said with her voice full of concern.

"It's about Kagome. I think…I think I know what's going on. But I don't want to tell Inuyasha, it's too risky."

"What are you talking about," She said with a hint of annoyance.

"Sango…I'm probably a hundred percent wrong mind you, but…I think she's from another world." He tried to explain.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Sango yelled angrily.

"Sango, Sango! Calm yourself please. I think Kagome is a miko, but not a human Miko. I think she's a mermaid…" He trailed off as he turned around.

Suddenly Sango felt a presence behind her. She whipped around to see Sesshomaru sitting on a rail. He waited with the patience of a God for them to continue, but sighed heavily when she just stared at him with an awkward silence, "I was almost impressed…" He sighed as he watched the first mate turn around as well.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?" Miroku managed to say without falling over from shock.

Sesshomaru looked over towards the ocean, wondering to himself why he was giving this information away. Once he remembered the reasons, he sighed, knowing it was for the best.

'That girl is being held captive on a ship permanently anchored at Latitude 46 Longitude 78," He spitted out in an effort to get the event over with.

He handed the first mate a map with the coordinates to make it that much easier. He returned to looking out towards the sea, evading eye contact with the humans.

"Why are you telling us this? You were the one who stole her in the first place," Miroku asked. His confusion was completely logical, but this Sesshomaru refused to give him any answers for his own reasoning.

"Tell my brother…"

He jumped off the railing where he sat, down onto where his ship had latched onto the Wind Scar's hull. Once more, the wind was on their side. They sailed away with speed the _Wind Scar_ couldn't match. Miroku watched in awe, wondering what was going on in Sesshomaru's head.

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The water pushed up through her nose, burning her brain. She tried to stay above the water, but the waves crashed over her, pushing her down. She gasped, breathing in water as she tried to hold her breath. Her arms flailed around, and having no legs to kick, she had no clue how to swim. She felt herself sink lower and lower, feeling the water grow colder around her. She felt her body grow blue as she held her breath.

She felt the burning desire to breathe, but continued to clench her jaw. Her lungs felt ready to explode inside her, but she pressed her lips together tighter in protest. She felt ready to die, but tried to ignore the inevitable. Suddenly she felt her body react on its own, and she felt her lungs beginning to suck in the cold water. She could feel the rushing of the cold inside her, going into places where she had never felt its presence.

But she felt relief instead of gagging….

She suddenly floated in place, suspended in the water. She opened her eyes, able to see as clearly as she could on land. She felt herself breathing in and out, just as she had on land. She place a hand on her throat, feeling her new respiratory system. She followed down the hollow base of her throat, down to her breastbone. Her skin felt slippery, like it was oiled. She realized it was a coating, so water couldn't touch it. She was "water-proofed" as Inuyasha would call it. They would rub animal fat on their boots to make them able to resist water, that way they could wear their shoes when they were on the lower decks were water had a tendency to accumulate.

She sighed, looking around the vast and empty surroundings that encompassed her. It was murky and dark, it seemed to go on forever. Where had she been when she was thrown off the ship? Could she be lost in the middle of the ocean? She tried to understand, but in the mix of fury and confusion, she forgot her sanity. But what was left for sanity to cling onto, everything she had ever known turn a complete 180 today. She fell asleep next to the man she loved (but still had not confessed) then woke up with a mermaid's tail! Apparently she was a miko, but what difference did that make.

Nothing was real anymore, the boundaries of life had been shattered. Reality and imagination seemed to be molded together in one odd, but perfect world. She should have stopped believing in reality when she met a live hanyou, or a live demon. She should have stopped believing in reality when she somehow conjured up a spell from inside to destroy a demon. Everything had become twisted, and she feared the knots could never be severed.

It was in that moment that she realized you can't cry underwater…

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Kagura tapped her fan against her thigh, thinking deeply. Her eyes were closed, and she turned still as stone.

Her sensitive ears picked up Kanna's light footsteps, walking gracefully towards her marble throne. Kagura opened her eyes slowly, and glanced up towards the snow white before her. Kanna was aging well. She had recently turned 15, and had become a blossoming beauty. Soft cream-colored locks of hair were trimmed neatly around her face, and black eyes shined behind the white locks. Her once tight small body had grown curves and burst onto the scene of womanhood without warning. Kagura felt a wave of pride and sadness for her sister; innocence would soon be replaced with power and pride.

"Kagura," She spoke in a small, quiet voice, "Lord Sesshomaru is here to see you."

Kagura's heart soared. Was it really him?

She regained her look of monotone and nodded her head to Kanna, "Let him enter."

He walked in, his icy eyes freezing her very soul. She watched his light silvery hair trail behind him, catching the sun in a mix of silver and gold. The cream of his uniform against the dark gray of his armor was, as usual, a compliment to his pale features. He always had pale, milky skin, no matter the amount of sun he got. It was a beautiful compliment for his butterscotch eyes, as cold as they were. Frozen amber was a good word to describe them, as glittering and cold as ice.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what may I do for you?" She asked as she weaved her fingers together, placing her chin on top. Her fan was being held with her thumb against her palm, dangling from a string tied through a hole in the end.

"The winds, you aided me in my conquest over Inuyasha. I want to know why." He stated as he moved into a more comfortable stance.

She sighed, partly from girlish fantasies, the other half from his naivety, "Who says I helped you in your conquest. Maybe I was doing it to aid myself." She asked in questions. Sesshomaru hated it when she did this, the Socratic method…

"What reason would you possibly have for the capture of that girl?" He played along, for now.

She twirled the fan around her finger, "Do you remember a few centuries ago, when you freed me from Naraku?"

He glared, "I didn't free you…"

"Like it or not you were a huge part of my salvation. And so I decided to give you a little helping hand…"

His glare continued, "But that's not why you did it. You've 'helped' me many times before. Your excuse for doing it might be that, but it's not the reason why." He stated it as a fact.

She glanced down towards her fan, where she was lazily opening and closing it, "Maybe that part is more personal than you might realize…" She said as a decoy statement.

"You're lying Kagura, don't try to dismiss me." He said angrily.

She smiled, her full red lips curling up softly around her white fangs, "And if I did," She challenged.

"I would simply kill you." He said out of aggression.

"Liar," She stated with a smile on her face.

"Don't test me, woman." He spat coldly.

"Fine, what do you want to know again?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

He almost growled, but regained his composure. This woman could be so infuriating, no one got on his nerves more, "Why did you stop the winds to Inuyasha's ship?"

"Because I wanted to see what Naraku was doing. I knew he was pulling your strings, and I wanted to see why." She explained, vaguely.

"Curiosity killed the cat." Sesshomaru quoted, "Don't interfere with my affairs again."

"And who's gonna stop me," she taunted.

He exited without answering, a sure sign that she had broken through his emotional barrier. She smiled in satisfaction, glad that she had evaded him this time. Of course, he would surely find out her reasons later, but for now…

She decided to keep low until the tides turned.

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So Kagura has an alterior motive, and a past with Sesshomaru. What will happen?

Kagome is separated from the rest of the pack, and how will she ever find Inuyasha? How could Inuyasha find her! (I'd also like to add that they haven't 'confessed' their love yet, they merely got hot and heavy with the kissing. It's not unheard of for friends to do that, but regret it later. So...you know...just wanted to make that clear.)

What's with Sesshomaru! That crazy dog demon! Bet you can't wait to figure out his motives in this story.( and NO way this is turning into a sess/kag story. I despise that couple with a passion)

Sorry once again for slow updates, but I have alot going on in my life. But I'm hoping that those thign will clear up soon!

Ok OK OK!!!! I have decided on the story I'm doing over the summer. Don't worry it won't interfer with updates for this story.

I will admit I didn't come up with the plot for this story completely on my own, its based on one of the first fanfictions I read back when I was 13. It was hosted on a yahoo site I found before I knew about Fanfiction. I loved the story idea, and I've always wanted to do my own version of it. So I've decided on doing just that.

The humans world has little freedoms, and what freedoms it does have are quickly deminishing. When Kagome loses her freedom, she is sold into slavery. Inuyasha's father, the lord of all demons, buys her as a concubine fore his son, Inuyasha. Problem is, he doesn't want one...

This story will definately be a dark and emotional story. it will be set in modern times, and i will try to get some fanart out there soon.

I did a one-shot over the past couple weeks, called In the End. It's how I think the ending will be. Its so far my favorite one shot I've done. It was defiantely a challenge because I wrote it completely first person, from kagome's Pov. I think it ended up pretty good, but I'd like to get some more feedback on it than I have right now.

People who reviewed (SO close! I missed my goal by 3 reviews, but thats ok! This time I'll meet my goal!)

Yin-Ka-Yasha (I would so totally listen to your ideas! And I would love to help you out on a story! just send me a pm, or Im me its the same sn as my ff acount)

K.Higurashi

squeekers

Cookie Tirone (HAH! I updated! It might be take damn long, but I did update! jajajajjaja)

Painted Canvas

Ayjah

Qui

Star Sapphirex

Ro0tin4Kagome

Toodles guys!


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